


Dangerous Sarcasm

by clearface



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Anxiety, Attempted Sexual Assault, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Fights, Fluff and Angst, High School, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Minor Violence, Spookyface - Freeform, This is an AU, not for the main characters though, this is a spookyface au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-09-05 19:23:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 88,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20278519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clearface/pseuds/clearface
Summary: The world is against Blurryface in every way possible, and Blurryface is perfectly okay with that.Until the world isn't against him, and everything he knows is in shambles. Spooky does what he can to make things better.Then they're both fucked over.(Spookyface AU featuring other characters with respective brand names and looks)





	1. I: Intent of a Wall

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the notes before you start!
> 
> This fic is a complete AU. The characters' names aren't the names of who they're based off, and the strange physical appearances are canonically natural. To avoid confusion, here's a name guide.
> 
> Blurryface is based off Tyler Joseph  
Spooky is based off Josh Dun  
Devotee is based off Brendon Urie  
Crimson is based off Hayley WIlliams  
Hurricane is based off Halsey  
Nicotine is based off Ryan Ross  
Black Tear is based off Jenna Joseph  
Violent Cain is based off Dallon Weekes  
Caroline is my own original character  
and I'll let you figure out the rest.
> 
> At the start of each part, there will be a content warning. Future content warnings will include one for sexual assault and a few sex scenes.  
Enjoy the Sarcasm AU. Taken off of my Wattpad @clearfaces  
Thank you to my gc for beta reading. I love y'all.

"And all of a sudden, I was laying on the floor, like, completely passed out!" a girl with turquoise hair spoke incredulously. Her lashes were thick with mascara and her eyeliner was winged sharp. A piece of gum hindered her speech, though the few people sitting at her lunch table were attentive. Her topic of choice: the party she attended last night and the apparent fact that someone drugged her, resulting in a roller coaster of events afterward. As unfortunate as it seemed, this kind of nonsense wasn't surprising, in fact, it was scarily normal.  
  
"Well what'd you expect, bitch?" the boy across from her, Devotee, chuckled, picking at his banana with a fork. The lunchroom was loud, conversations spinning on in the constant motion of the student body. The school wasn't large at all, allowing every student to be packed into one commons area for a single lunch period. Sometimes people would have to yell, it wasn't a rare occurrence.  
  
"I don't know, maybe someone would y'know, try and help me out?"  
  
"That's not how parties work, honey," Devotee reminded her, raising an eyebrow. Hurricane scoffed, annoyed and frustrated.  
  
Not far down the cafeteria, stained hands were latched on the side of the lunch tray as another boy made his way to the same table. Blank expression fuzzed on his face, he sat down beside Hurricane, dropping his tray on the surface with a _clank._  
  
The girl had a smirk on her lips, eyeing the boy, "You seem off today, Blurry. Somethin' got your attention?"  
  
"Yeah, some douchebag just absolutely fucking tore my brother to shreds yesterday with a knife!" he replied sarcastically in a usual dull tone that never matched his words, rolling his eyes. "Does anyone have a spoon I can borrow?"  
  
Nicotine, the smaller and lankier boy perched beside Devotee, hummed as he took his spoon out of the plastic silverware sleeve and slid it over to Blurry. His blackened fingers caught it smoothly.  
  
"You didn't get any silverware for yourself?" another girl, Crimson piped up, quirking an eyebrow. Her fiery orange hair was styled into space buns today.  
  
"No, they ran out like always," Blurryface replied, bored.  
  
Crimson had a look of confusion on her face. "Well, you could've asked someone—"  
  
"Let's not get our panties in a twist, baby girl." Hurricane mockingly cooed, patting the flame-haired's thigh. “You’re gonna piss him off.”  
  
"No one asked you to speak, ass." The girl replied, swatting Hurricane's hand away with a look of disgust. The other huffed, distracted by someone else sighing obnoxiously.  
  
"I'm officially done with this hell. I hate it."  
  
The table's heads turned simultaneously as they saw Spooky Jim sitting down in an empty seat, tired. He rubbed at his eyes, bright red curls falling in his face.  
  
"No shit, Sherlock." Blurry hissed, flicking alarm red eyes over in Spooky's direction. The boy took no offense to it, looking back with disinterest.  
  
"Aw shit, did anyone finish the English homework?" Hurricane mumbled, poking around at her lunch while looking at the table for an answer.  
  
"Nope, I didn't even do it," Devotee proudly remarked from his phone.  
  
"I don't have class with any of you guys so I don't know what you're talking about, sorry, H," Crimson Curse said. Her voice was soft in comparison to how she had sounded earlier.  
  
Blurry had actually finished the English homework, but he stayed silent, glancing down at his lap while he curled a piece of dark brown hair in his fingers in an attempt to avoid having to get into a conversation. Hurricane took notice of this as usual. Blurry thought that maybe it was the girl's goal to try and aggravate him to hell and back. She knew Blurry wasn't going to put up with it, so why did she even bother?  
  
"Did you finish the homework, Blurry?" she asked, most likely hoping for an answer.  
  
"What? No," Blurryface snapped out of his trance, lying on instinct. He wasn’t going to give her jack shit. She never did her homework anyways, whether he liked her or not.  
  
The blue-haired girl mumbled something incoherent later, leaving the lunch table early to go find her papers that were stuck in her locker. Blurry didn't say another word, itching his arm where some pen ink sat.

* * *

"Young Menace, please don't throw papers in my classroom!" the teacher yelled as he walked in the doorway, clearly distraught. In return, the mentioned student only laughed, shoving his partner in the arm.  
  
Spooky rolled his eyes, trying to focus on the assignment again. Nobody was actually attentive in this class, but the boy's goal was to stay focused at least during the start of this year, just like he always did. There was a test tomorrow, and if he didn't study he would fail easily. His efforts to be attentive were worthless and he was interrupted yet another time by a tap on his shoulder. Spooky turned to see Fun Ghoul staring at him, jet black hair swept from his eyes.  
  
"Can I help you?" Spooky asked, annoyed. They never talked, and it was for a reason. It had been what, over a year since Ghoul and Party Poison dropped him? This was weird. Spooky already hated it.  
  
"Yeah, can you give this to Party?" the ebony whispered, slipping Spooky Jim a folded note. Spooky almost laughed. It was almost as if Ghoul was trying to piss off the redhead today, or maybe the universe just hated him. Fun Ghoul had a phone right on his desk, one that could so easily be used to communicate with his boyfriend two seats over instead of doing something as juvenile as passing notes. Something that didn't involve having to tap a classmate and annoyed ex-friend's shoulder every three seconds.  
  
Spooky nodded, not wanting to piss anyone off, turning to his other side to slide the paper on to Party Poison's desk. Party took the note, unfolding it to read. Spooky was unable to catch what it said. Laughing, the other redhead flipped over the note and wrote something back.

Why couldn't they just use their damn phones?  
  
Spooky gave the message back to Fun Ghoul, looking back down at his test study guide afterward to continue. The pair on each side of him continued to have a conversation, verbally this time, and the entire class was loud enough as it is. Nobody would shut up, and Spooky started to hate his temper, his temper that had the strength of a thin rubber band. He just wanted to get this damn work over with. The grip on his pencil was hard. Why couldn't people just shut the hell up for once? The two boys on either side of him could easily just move next to each other, or move a chair behind Spooky. He’d even be willing to switch seats, but no, that’s not how Ghoul and Party worked, not when all they wanted was to get a laugh.  
  
When Fun Ghoul asked the red-haired boy to pass another note to Party, Spooky Jim sighed quietly and announced he was going to the bathroom, leaving the classroom without further notice and in turn leaving the boys on either side of him to say whatever they pleased. He wasn't surprised by the outcome, Spooky was doomed ever since the seating chart changed last week. He looked once more back at his seat before he left. Party looked at him with his eyebrows raised and snickered.  
  
Down the hall, he tried to release some stress quietly as he made his way to the nearest male bathroom, flexing his fingers and rolling his shoulders back. A boy looked at him from where he was standing in the hall with the tiniest bit of question towards how he was acting, and Spooky gave him a "mind your business" glance in response, narrowing his eyes before opening the door to the men's room.  
  
The bathroom was empty, or so Spooky thought, until he walked in to see Devotee vaping in the corner in a casual fashion. Spooky upturned his nose as soon as he caught sight of it. It almost made him turn around.  
  
"Goddamnit, can't you go do that outside?" Spooky asked, slumping against the wall.  
  
"You want a hit?" Devotee countered, blowing another puff of vapor from his lips.  
  
"God no, I don't... do that...” he gestured to the vape pen.  
  
"You act like this shit gives you lung cancer, but okay. Your loss," Devoted shrugged, "Why're you here if you don't have to piss?"  
  
"Couldn't focus."  
  
"What class?"  
  
"Daver's, he put me in between Party and Ghoul last week and I'm fucking tired of them being annoying little shits. And they’re doing it to piss me off."  
  
"Ouch," Devotee sympathized, looking up at the lights. A puff rose to the ceiling.  
  
"Do you just..." Spooky hesitated, cringing at Devotee's carefree state, "come in here and vape all the time? It's the third time I've seen you here this year alone."  
  
"At least once a week. School is too stressful and these ADHD meds have me going crazy."  
  
"Oh," Spooky sighed again, running a hand through his hair.  
  
"Hey, did you notice something off about Blurry today?" the other boy piped up, glancing down at the redhead.  
  
"Nope," Spooky replied, "Blurryface is always like that, bitchy yet completely hidden." To be completely honest, Spooky knew virtually nothing about the moody boy, just that he was mean most of the time, and completely shut off from the world.  
  
Devotee hummed, "Okay, sure." He blew another cloud out, grabbing a sharpie from his pocket. It was the kind you click to use. Appropriately clicking the pen open, he turned to the wall, which had already been damaged by the mounds of ink left by previous students. It could probably be counted as a "tag yourself" meme with the amount of stupidity in the various phrases and shameless Snapchat promos.  
  
Next to a sloppy drawing of a penis, Devotee started writing for his own. " _ Spooky Jim is pissy with everything in this school,_" he rang as if reading from a kindergarten book.  
  
Spooky Jim rolled his eyes as the text. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Writing fun facts," Devotee innocently stated, cocking his head back to face Spooky.  
  
"Asshole."  
  
"_Spooky Jim also thinks everyone is an asshole,_" Devotee continued. The _squeak _of the marker against the cement walls was prominent, the smell of that and the off-smelling vape pen combining to create an unpleasant fume that would probably ruin the redhead's hygiene until he took a shower or so he thought.  
  
Spooky groaned, flicking the sharpie out of Devotee's fingers and walking back out of the bathroom, nose still scrunched. Devotee smiled sarcastically, waving goodbye after he picked the black marker up. Spooky just shook his head.

* * *

Blurryface's room was an absolute wreck if you looked at it.  
  
The beige paint on the barren walls was old, zero personality inserted and most likely destroyed by stains from ink and food alike. His bed was withered and scratched, the white comforter atop messy grey sheets that most likely hadn't been washed in years. The floor was the worst, mindlessly cluttered, journals and pages torn with scribbles of sorts, thoughts that could never be said aloud, mixed with homework and old school forms. A dusty bookshelf held dirtied pictures and an old CD player, three old CDs accompanying it. Clothes lay in broken dresser drawers, some in discarded piles elsewhere.  
  
And Blurryface, well he was just as scathed as the rest, like a candle on top of a heavily frosted cake. You could hear pencil scratches against notebook paper and the soft turn of textbook pages as he worked on his homework, teeth chewing at the side of his tongue. He exhaled in frustration and glanced up at his surroundings, tapping his fingers against his leg without knowing it. Purple circles accompanied his under eyes, and he struggled to keep himself awake. This was always his routine. Do homework, don’t sleep, let a god awful mess build up, and repeat. Unfortunately, he could only let this go on for so long.  
  
Blurry collapsed backward onto the floor, exhausted.  
  
He stared at the ceiling fan, hands fumbling idly against each other. The room was quiet, eyes trailed on the loosely spinning fan above him. Somehow, this was better than doing homework, and all the sudden he wasn't tired. His mind was awake, recounting his boring day and every bad glance sent his way. He had a long, boring school year ahead with the same people as always. He was going to get dragged to occasional parties on the weekends and McDonald’s after school and not say a word. And maybe pick a fight if someone decides to get feisty. He really just wanted everything to move as fast as humanly possible. If there's one cliche he agrees with, it's that school is shitty.  
  
"Blurryface?" A call came from below, his stepmother. She was a nice lady, beautiful in someone's eyes. Long and curly blonde hair, light green eyes and fair skin. She had a full heart, full goodness radiating in every step she took. Caroline.  
  
She was too good of a person for Blurry’s taste. However, despite that, she was the only member of the family that Blurry didn’t absolutely despise and was probably the closest to him.  
  
He could hear her footsteps coming up the stairs, the nicely polished stairs that completely contrasted against the teenager's bedroom.  
  
"Blurry?" Her high voice spoke softly as she peeked through the doorway. Blurry sat up, kicking his Algebra textbook across the floor from where he lay.  
  
"Busy!" Blurryface yelled. He sat up. He was in fact, not doing anything. Most of the time, like right now, it was all excuses. He picked up his breathing.  
  
Caroline wasn't fazed by this. "Sorry to interrupt. Dinner is in a bit though, thought I'd let you know in case you wanted to join us tonight."  
  
"I-I'm sorry." Blurry spoke, relieving some breaths before picking the book up and turning to another page. He could hear white noise. He was a little disappointed.  
  
"No worries, it's okay. I know you've been stressed at school. I'll bring your dinner up to you so you can finish." Caroline brought a smile to her lips. Blurry sighed, grateful yet still annoyed. He couldn't ever get her to crack, it was as if she was immune. It’d been like this since he was a tiny child. He didn’t know what she saw in him. It terrified him, to some extent, knowing she still kept a nicer composure around him. It terrified him to think that maybe she thought that Blurry was a good person. Blurry was not a good person. He has too many daddy issues and unnecessary hate in his veins to be a good person. He was too violent to be a good person, too cut and scraped and rough and bitter. Caroline cleared her throat. "I'll leave you to it. I'm estimating about 10 minutes 'till dinner's ready." She left.  
  
Blurry wasn't going to join them. He didn't like his family and doubted his missing presence would even matter. Gold, his oddly stereotype-fitting 13-year-old sister, probably wasn't even home yet from whatever friend's house she had left to, Momentum, his younger brother, was just straight up aggravating, and the last person on earth Blurryface would ever want to willingly spend time with would be his father. His entire family somehow found a way to get under his skin.  
  
Their house was too cookie-cutter, their beliefs were too standard and their personalities were too gritty. Too many things were restricted and far too much respect was expected.  
  
A minor thing was that no one was allowed to speak of the children's biological mother because she was all-around despicable. She ran off to another country without notice after the children were born, leaving the father alone. The times Blurry's heard of his mom, his father only describes her as a ghost. Her soul left too often for her to be able to take care of her own family. Thinking back to it, Blurry can’t remember anything about her or think back to the last time he gave the woman a thought.  
  
It wasn't relevant, but sometimes, Blurry felt that he was just like his mother. A soulless ghost that everyone hated.  
  
He at least hoped his mother was in a better place.

* * *

  
  
The lunchroom was crowded like usual, students chatting with each other about things that were none of Spooky Jim's concern. The line to get food was packed. Spooky just trudged along. Mushy looking food and a bag of some off-brand chips were dumped on his tray as he made his way through. He exited, looking down at his lunch to see what the hell the food even was. He took inventory.  
  
_ Mashed potatoes, a salad, some kind of meat, chips— _  
  
"I suggest you watch where you're going,"  
  
Spooky bumped into someone, looking in the direction of the voice to find Fun Ghoul with a frown on his face.  
  
"Sorry," Spooky muttered. There was a shift in both of them, and before Spooky could walk off, he was stopped.  
  
"Hey, why don't you come sit with me and my friends?" Ghoul asked casually.  
  
"No thanks, I'm good—"  
  
"C'mon!" Fun Ghoul insisted. Spooky backed away, Ghoul frowned. "Dude, just for now? I haven't talked to you, like actually talked, for over a year!"  
  
Spooky didn't say a word. Ghoul was going to sit here and pretend like he and his dumb boyfriend didn't completely betray the redhead. Spooky had been just fine with his current friends for the past year, sitting with them at lunch included.  
  
He should've said that aloud because Ghoul took Spooky's silence as a yes, taking Spooky's arm and dragging him over to a table that held Party Poison, Soul Punk, Young Menace, and Kobra Kid. Kobra was Party's brother, and Soul and Menace were their other friends or whatever. Spooky groaned. If he didn't already hate today, he did now. A feeling of dread built up inside him. Why couldn’t he just have a normal day? Just once?  
  
Fun Ghoul sat the new redhead down and plopped himself across from him, next to Party.  
  
Spooky Jim gave a quick glance over to the table that held the actual group of people he associated with, all of them staring at him in bewilderment and confusion.  
  
Looking back, the party at the current table was staring at him too, confused.  
  
"This is Spooky Jim, you all know him. We used to be pretty tight!"  
  
Kobra Kid cleared his throat. "Hello."  
  
Spooky waved hesitantly. Why did Fun Ghoul drag him here? Did he want something? Did he want a redemption arc? He wasn’t getting one if that was the case.  
  
"So, you have any friends?" the ebony asked as if he didn't already know the answer. Spooky really didn't know what he had gotten into. He almost laughed.  
  
"You already know the answer to that," he replied.  
  
Party Poison laughed, "Yeah, well you haven’t seen us in a minute, there’s new people, all that.”  
  
"Uh-huh,” Spooky mumbled, not amused. These were his replacements. “Why am I here again?’  
  
Ghoul shrugged. “Seeing you all frustrated the other day made me and Party...reconsider. Thought maybe your new group was making you upset."

Spooky snorted. “That was entirely your fault, the other day,” he deadpanned.  
  
"So, who do you usually sit with?" Menace asked, crumpling a napkin.  
  
"He sits with Devotee an' that lot," Party mumbled, taking small bites out of his tray. His voice wasn't pleasant. “Like Ghoul said, real potential stressors. Unnecessary drama.”  
  
"How do you stand them?" Kobra Kid asked with wide eyes. "Isn't Devotee like a satanist or something? And Hurricane is always high and that Crimson girl-"  
  
"No, no nothing like that," Spooky Jim reassured the freshman wearily, "well, maybe not Hurricane but that's not the point."  
  
"Also how about Blurryface?"  
  
"He just gets moody," Spooky replied, opening his bag of chips.  
  
"Doesn't seem like it," Soul Punk muttered. It was the first word he'd said since Spooky Jim sat down.  
  
"Why do you even talk to them?"  
  
"Dunno," Spooky muttered. _ I did it because you little fucks abandoned me for no good reason. _ He wasn't going to launch into what had happened, that was just a key to a giant ass fight. Long story short, it was a family issue that distanced Party and Ghoul from Spooky, and they ended up in a fight, leaving Spooky to find new friends. He shifted his eyes, glancing back at his friends. Nicotine positioned his hands in a slitting motion across his throat. All of their eyes still remained on Spooky.  
  
Fun Ghoul smirked, "They're all staring at you. Suppose we should let you go before Crimson stars screaming at us. That girl has one hell of a temper. Just thought we should give ya another chance. But it seems like you’ve moved on."  
  
The red-haired boy nodded absently, eyes still on his friends. “Yeah,” he turned his head. “I never asked for a second chance, I quite frankly don’t give a shit about you all anymore. I’m going to go eat my lunch now.”

The table was silent.  
  
"Bye, Spooky," Kobra Kid said quietly.  
  
"Uh, bye."  
  
Spooky took his tray and walked over to the other table hurriedly. Everyone looked confused as all hell.  
  
"What the fuck was that?" Devotee asked once he got there. "They're not trying to get you back, are they? That's over and fucking done with and also real stupid."  
  
"Hell if I know," Spooky grimaced.

* * *

"Why'd you go with them during lunch?" Hurricane muttered to Spooky, bumping his shoulder. The halls were crowded, Blurryface, Hurricane and Spooky Jim all pushing their way through. Blurry was on the other side of Hurricane.

"I couldn't object. You know how Fun Ghoul gets, with Party Poison all over his back. I could have started a fight if I hadn't gone. You know they hate us, I couldn't get out of it."

"Why though?"

"It just happened!" Spooky burst out, not really surprising the other two, "I have no clue and it's probably not going to happen again! I'm sick of this!" he told her rather aggressively.

"Calm it," Blurry warned him.

"Shut up, Blurryface."

Hurricane had somewhat of a smirk on her face as she reached her designated classroom, "You need to chill. You sure y'all don't want the shit I offered the other day? It isn't bad, already rolled."

"No thanks," Blurry responded, an annoyed expression on his face like he had expected Hurricane to know better.

Spooky had a similar response. "That's not my thing to do, sorry Hurricane," he muttered, seemingly cooled from his semi-explosion. "Go have fun living your edgy indie teen dream."

"Suckers," she muttered, "see ya later."

"Bye."

The two boys walked away in opposite directions to their next class, the usual frown placed on both of their faces.

* * *

The rest of the week dragged on as per usual. After the whole lunch episode, the group bombarded Spooky Jim with obscure questions, or that’s what it felt like. It lasted far too long, longer than he thought it would. He just wanted junior year to go normally, without any worries about friends or any major drama. But his group didn't let this go just yet, obstructing his plan.

Why couldn't they just wrap their heads around the fact that Spooky doesn't know what the fuck happened? Luckily it died down during their free period today, and in place was something different: Devotee's back to school party, second year in a row, and unfortunately, bigger and better.  
  
"Guys, party this Friday, my place. Basically, the whole school is coming because you know, it's the back to school party." Devotee announced, the group sat listening in the courtyard outside. It would be back to school party number two, the first one being the one Hurricane attended despite being grounded. Spooky would go, ever since he started hanging out with this group he found he quite enjoyed the parties he was dragged to. People watching was fun, and he looked cooler with a drink in his hand.  
  
Blurryface gave the statement sarcastic thought, "Mmmm, nope."  
  
"Sorry, Blurry, but you gotta be our designated driver as the only clean one in our group."  
  
"What the fuck does that mean?" the brunet asked.  
  
"You don't do drugs, sex or drink. You're just an asshole." Devotee told him simply.  
  
"I'm in as long as my baby girl comes too," Hurricane responded cooly.  
  
"I'm not your baby girl, don't fucking call me that." Crimson pouted. Her cheeks were beet red.  
  
"Sure, you love it." Hurricane tried to wrap an arm around the girl's shoulder, but she shoved it away and scooted closer towards Blurryface.  
  
Devotee smiled, oblivious, "How 'bout you, Spooky Jim?"  
  
"I'll be there."  
  
"Great, well, I'm going to head to class, bye folks." Devotee abruptly got up, turned and left the group, taking a silent Nicotine with him.  
  
"That boy must have a scarf fetish," Hurricane noted, staring at the scarf laid around the smaller boy's neck, arm wrapped with Devotee's.  
  
Blurry chuckled quietly. Spooky announced he had to leave, as the bell was "_about to ring and he didn't feel like being late because his teacher was a bitch."_  
  
"Bye, Spooky," Hurricane called, hugging a disgusted looking Crimson closer to her.  
  
Spooky walked off and back into the school building, pushing past various students that were standing ignorantly in the middle of the hall. One protested.  
  
And _damn,_ Spooky Jim needed to stop bumping into Fun Ghoul.  
  
"Oh, didn't realize it was you," Ghoul muttered looking up at the redhead, "you should come sit with us again!"  
  
"No thanks, you seemed to see that I was over y'all last year, so get a grip of it this year. I know what you all are doing," the other spat. He walked away without another word. Fun Ghoul frowned.  
  
In class, Spooky paid little attention to whatever was going on. A new student with blue-tipped hair and matching eyes entered the class late, but that was the biggest commotion. His head traveled back to Devotee's party. If he was going to get a normal start to this year at a party, he sure as hell would try and get it there.

* * *

Blurryface was visibly quite aggravated. Reasons why? Unknown. A slight scowl rested on his face as he dragged himself through the crowded halls away from Hurricane, who stopped to talk to someone on the way to their next period. He didn’t even like her, he didn’t know why they walked together. He just got more annoyed thinking about it.  
  
In all reality, the reason for being upset was just the fact that Blurry really hated school and this was completely normal. It was a part of his everyday routine. His entire life was a routine.  
  
"Hey, Blurryface?"  
  
A turn revealed some random student at the boy's side, nervous and fumbling with their phone. Blurry didn't know them, but it didn't surprise him.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"I um," the student stuttered, "was wondering if you'd like to get coffee with me tomorrow morning? I know you don't know me and you don't have to consider it as a date but I have your Snapchat and we have a streak and you look really lonely and—"  
  
"No," Blurry responded quickly, rolling his eyes and walking off without another glance.  
  
"Oh—"  
  
Blurryface left the student stranded in the middle of the hall, speechless. That kid heard him. He said no. Why did people think they needed to change his mind? They didn't know each other just because they were on Snapchat together, and Blurry didn't want to get to know the person. A true waste of his time.  
  
It was a growing problem. Some of the school considered Blurryface attractive or the kind of person that would be a dom figure for sex or whatever, but the red-eyed thought that the whole ordeal was just really fucking stupid and weird. He didn't pay enough attention to anyone for that kind of reputation. If his school wasn't so damn small, people would stop caring about him. Devotee said that maybe he was just _ that _ attractive. He'd constantly get people on his Snapchat asking for nudes or "a chance" with them, even though by now everyone should know Blurry isn't the person to be pining after, he's just an antisocial bum.

  
He had no want for any of that, and he hadn't remembered the last time he had if he wanted to. He was really just plain tired of people coming up to him and asking him to go out with them or try to get in his pants. And last time he’d really worried about that stuff...he didn’t want to think about it.  
  
None of it was in his desires. Blurryface understood the concept of love and a little of the reasoning behind it, but if he was ever spotted doing something like that, everyone would take advantage of him, he could feel it. Blurry was fragile, and cracked glass can easily be broken. He wasn't as carefree as everyone else. He'd never dated anyone or kissed anyone or whatever, he hadn't lost his virginity and he sure as hell hadn't fallen in love.  
  
Nobody could get close to him. There was too much at stake. There was too much to lose. His brain wouldn't be able to take it in, not after last year's mess.  
  
Too much.

* * *

  
  
"Hi, Spooky?" Kobra Kid tapped on the redhead's shoulder.  
  
Spooky sighed, "What do you people want, _ my Go _ —oh."  
  
"Hello," the freshman waved awkwardly, "I'm here to er, apologize."  
  
"What?" Spooky closed his locker, turning slightly.  
  
"My uh, brother and his friends," Kobra Kid explained, "I know they were fucking with you and whatever, and it kinda pissed off your friends. And I know that you guys had issues in the past or something. So I'm sorry. They just wanted to piss you off and shit. They thought that it’d be funny."  
  
"I don’t really care, it’s okay I guess?" Spooky questioned. “I know they’re immature like that.” There was a pause. The situation was over and done with now, and this was awkward for him, so he did what he always did when he was stuck like this. "I have to go, uh, see you later." Spooky turned and rolled his eyes as he walked off. Kobra Kid had nothing to do with it, why did he feel the need to apologize?  
  
He heard another voice behind him. Party Poison.  
  
"Hey, Kobra. What were you doing with Spooky Jim?"  
  
Spooky stopped in his tracks and looked behind him, turning around a corner slowly.  
  
"I was just—nothing."  
  
"Did you really go out of your way to tell him we were doing that? You’re a piece of shit. It was funny."  
  
"Oh fuck off, Party. That was shitty, no matter if his friends are weird druggies or not. It wasn’t funny. He was right, y’all are fuckin’ stupid."  
  
"Excuse me?" he heard Party say. “You don’t know the half of it.”  
  
Spooky Jim quickened his pace, hoping to get away from their ordeal that clearly should've happened in private. You don't just yell like that in the halls, do you?  
  
He waited at the doorway of the classroom silently, tapping his foot in anticipation. It was all his fault but at the same time none of his business. Spooky hated situations like these. He knew Party would come after him if he wanted to, and turn Kobra's issues onto Spooky himself. Hé looked quietly around the hallway, watching students as they walked past him.  
  
A girl passed by, promptly looking the boy up and down in an odd manner and winking at him. Her lipstick was overlined and her shoes were at least 6 inches high.  
  
Spooky cringed slightly before straightening back up and spitting a "Fuck off," at her.  
  
The girl pursed her lips in protest, obviously offended. Spooky laughed at this as he heard her high heels click furiously against the floor.  
  
Was this what people thought of him?  
  
**spooky christmas**  
why do people check me out that's the fucking weirdest thing i hate this  
  
**baby h**  
because they find you attractive???? idk ???? it's always u and blurry, thought we established this.  
  
**dev**  
^^ also did you hear some girl earlier snapping at this bitch it was hilarious. they almost got into a fight but someone stopped it.  
  
**spooky christmas** **  
** no?  
**  
** **baby h**

rt that fight would’ve been great if the counselor didn’t stop it

**spooky christmas**

fights aren’t all that interesting you guys are strange  
  
**dev**  
well fuck you too, you party pooper >:(  
  
Spooky sighed in annoyance. He wanted to tell everyone about the episode that went on down the hall between Kobra and Party, but he wasn't that much of an asshole. And he didn't want to get into that shit again. There were things that were better left in the past.  
  
This being one of them.

* * *

"Honestly, bless your mother, Spooky Jim." Nicotine giggled quietly. Devotee smiled at the younger boy, adoration apparent.  
  
"I hate her for doing that to me," Spooky muttered in return, burying his face in his hands.  
  
The group was at McDonald's, sitting together and listening to how much Spooky got aggravated with his mother. According to the redhead, his mother gave Spooky and his older brother matching names. But the thing was, Spooky Jim's brother just went by Tim or "T" instead of his full name because Spooky had already claimed the nickname, well, Spooky.  
  
"But it's so fucking good," Hurricane argued.  
  
"But it's so fucking _gross._"  
  
"I think it's funny," Nicotine muttered. Hurricane laughed at this.  
  
"See? Even quiet-ass Nicotine agrees!" Hurricane giggled, slinging an arm around his shoulder as the boy turned a light shade of pink.  
  
Spooky sighed once more.  
  
The door to the restaurant opened again, and Blurryface and Crimson Curse walked in together, talking quietly. Blurry looked extremely uninterested. Crimson looked up to see the small group, unexpectedly grabbing Blurry's arm and dragging him over to the table with her.  
  
"We're late, but I don't really give a fuck, sorry." Blurryface told them all.  
  
Hurricane smirked, "Hello Blurry. Nice to see you too."  
  
Blurry let a sly smile slip.  
  
"You guys ready for that dope party Friday?" Devotee asked.  
  
"Nope," Blurry muttered.

“Not when you say dope like that,” Hurricane raised her eyebrows.  
  
The rest of the group hummed or nodded.  
  
"Great," Devotee smiled.  
  
"Devotee, am I going to have to drive all of you guys home when you're all drunk and high and possibly all over each other in the backseat?"  
  
"You bet!"  
  
"Fuck me," Blurryface groaned to himself.  
  
Crimson giggled at his desperation while the rest of the group snickered as well.  
  
"I'm getting food today, what do you little shits want?" Devotee stood up, walking over to lean on the end of the table.  
  
"I'm good," Spooky replied. Hurricane ordered for her and the girl next to her. Nicotine silently told the standing his small order of food, Blurryface following.  
  
"Alrighty!" Devotee flicked his hair, walking up to the counter and ordering. Crimson made a comment about someone’s appearance in an Instagram post.  
  
Devotee came back quickly, the group silent and on their phones. "You guys aren't any fun," the boy complained, giving everyone their food.  
  
"Thanks, man."  
  
"No problem. So, what kinds of drinks and crap do you guys want Friday?"  
  
Blurry groaned. This was going to be a long conversation. They always went to parties when there was one, and Devotee himself always hosted his famous back to school party whenever his parents left for a mission trip. Blurry never liked parties, thanks to his lack or want of social skills. The reason why he went was so that he could laugh at teenage stupidity.

Unfortunately, ever since obtaining his license late in sophomore year last year, he was now the group’s designated driver, catering to probably the worst people possible with the combination of them being drunk and sometimes even high. On the plus side, his town was small so he didn’t have to drive far. He just knew he didn’t mean anything other than being the weird fuckwad who surprisingly didn’t drink or smoke weed or something. (Not that he wanted to mean anything, it was just that he didn’t want to be replaced).

And it was even stranger because his poor stepmother was genuinely happy when he first asked if he could attend a party with some people. He was so genuinely isolated that his own parent was letting him be stupid at someone’s house. And it sucked because he didn’t even particularly like these people. Crimson dragged him in the group in freshman year after Blurry punched someone who called him a fag, and he really had never had friends much before so Blurryface just went along with whatever because he didn’t really care. The group found him amusing and as Hurricane once said, “brooding and mysterious,” so the red-eyed boy just assumed maybe he’d be stuck with them for the time being. They gave him tips on the weird girls who asked for nudes and gave him a distraction from what was probably some really bad depression. 

At this point, all he could think was that he was grateful none of them were super optimistic goody-two-shoes type of people. Crimson might be the one exception to that, but it’s just because she’s bubbly and loud and so fucking annoying. Even if she gives Blurry rides sometimes. As for the rest, he’s had a few stupid fights with everyone. Hurricane’s is never-ending because Blurry hates her, Devotee and Nicotine got upset when Blurry told them to stop bragging about their relationship, and Spooky was being too nosy towards some issues nobody should’ve asked Blurry. But for the most part, all of those got left in the dust, and they were back to partying.

And Blurry was back to his boring life.

* * *

  
The new girl from Spooky’s class was stupid and made the wrong choices.  
  
That's what Spooky Jim concluded, eyes trailing on the tip-dyed blonde making her way down the lunchroom and taking a seat next to Kobra Kid.  
  
"We got another one joining Poison," Hurricane declared. She had obviously taken notice of the matter too.  
  
"Since when did you all care who was friends with who?" Nicotine muttered, "especially new people who don't know what they're doing."  
  
"Well, it's just one more of Poison's puppets that he can control. They're all a machine. They think they're all that and an extra polished load of shit." Hurricane retorted, tucking her one strand of yellow hair behind her hair.  
  
"It's not like we're any better people," Nicotine frowned and shrugged silently, "but I guess you're right."  
  
"Maybe Blurryface should go over and seduce her or something," Crimson suggested, looking down at her freshly painted nails. "He's hot, he can do it."  
  
Spooky glanced at Blurry who's red eyes were wild towards the smaller girl beside him.  
  
"Fuck no," Blurry replied.  
  
Devotee raised his eyebrows. "Fuck yes, dude. You gotta get laid. You're still—"  
  
"Fuck off, Devotee."  
  
Spooky chuckled at his frustration, looking around to hear more chuckles and smirks on the group's faces.  
  
"You guys are like a living, breathing curse machine," Nicotine muttered, looking down at his shoes. Devotee took notice to this and put a finger over his lips, glaring at Blurryface.  
  
Blurryface just scowled back. "You're 16. Grow up."  
  
"I still can't believe that slim blonde joined Poison's group," Hurricane pushed, annoyance lying on her lips.  
  
"Like she would join us. She's too good for us," Spooky replied.  
  
"They're all way too happy-go-lucky. It's kind of disgusting." Devotee added, hand clasped with Nicotine's.  
  
"You two are _ kind of disgusting_." Crimson Curse mocked.  
  
"Are we any better?" Hurricane asked.  
  
"I don't like you, get out."  
  
"Then why do you keep talking to me, sweetheart?"  
  
Color flushed Crimson's cheeks as she flicked Hurricane's shoulder with her sharp black nails.  
  
Blurryface adjusted the black beanie on top of his hair, "You guys are real ignorant pieces of shit."  
  
"Rude," Devotee playfully scoffed in a high valley girl tone. Nicotine laughed. He was stopped by the noise of shoes shuffling up to the table, and someone sitting themselves next to Blurryface.  
  
"What the fu—" Hurricane started. Blurry's eyes widened as he looked next to him.  
  
"Who do you think you are?" Crimson pursed.  
  
"Black Tear. I don't have a fucking clue who to sit with, and y'all looked chill enough. Sorry if I disturbed the whole clique thing you guys have going on. I'm pretty sure I ruined the previous group's thing too."  
  
Spooky stayed silent as he looked at the new girl from his class. The smoky makeup outlining the girl's piercing eyes brought an unsettling feeling to the table, though they didn't oppose.  
  
Devotee cleared his throat. "Fine. But I'd stay away from those other people you were with. They're petty as hell."  
  
"Alright, I think I can do that. By the way, I'm not looking for a hookup. I heard y’all talking.” She looked over at Blurry. “You’re not my type.”  
  
"Shit," Crimson muttered incoherently. Blurry just laughed in her face.

Devotee took the opportunity to speak up. “Hey, dude, I’m having a party tonight. Parents are away, we have food and shit. School usually comes, you’re invited if you want.”

“You’re lucky I don’t have to babysit my sisters tonight,” Black replied. Her voice was smooth and slightly deep. “I’ll see.”

* * *

**dev**  
who's ready for this lit party  
  
**baby h** **  
** can't wait to spend quality time with my baby girl  
  
**blood girl** **  
** politely fuck off :')  
**  
** **baby h**  
you still love me, :')  
  
**błûrrÿfãçē** **  
** is. the entire school gonna. be there,  
  
**dev**  
ofc like always  
  
**błûrrÿfãçē**  
okay  
  
**spooky christmas**  
i'm coming but i don't wanna get into any shit so like, someone rescue me if i do anything  
  
**baby h**  
aight  
  
**blood girl** **  
** lol she won't rescue you, she'll be high off drugs and won't know a damn  
  
**baby h**  
s not like you're gonna be able to help him baby  
**  
** **blood girl**  
oh my god stop i'm fucking blocking you  
  
**baby h**  
<333  
  
**n**  
i think crimson is crushing real hard  
  
**dev** **  
** nic hELLO  
  
**n**  
hi  
  
**blood girl** **  
**aM NOT

i hate yall  
  
**n**  
lmao nice try  
i'm gonna go do homework bye  
  
**dev**  
this is going to be so fun  
blurry u should try letting loose for once  
who knows.... you could get laid..  
  
**błûrrÿfãçē**  
you said it yourself i'm your dd so no fucking thanks  
and no  
  
**dev**  
why not it's fun  
  
**błûrrÿfãçē**  
i don't think i have to fucking elaborate  
why can't we go back to the time where nobody talked to me

**baby h**

well you aren't mute anymore so now we get to talk  
you're a fun dude even if you're a complete ass and refuse to lose your v card we still love u <33333  
  
**błûrrÿfãçē**  
i was never mute  
  
**spooky christmas**  
yeah you were  
  
**błûrrÿfãçē**  
uh no  
i always question why i talk to any of you  
  
**blood girl**  
bc we're your only friends and you love us duh  
  
**błûrrÿfãçē left the chat**  
  
**spooky christmas**  
one day he's gonna realize how sensitive he is jfc  
**  
** **blood girl**  
he's always been weird lol leave him alone  
  
**dev**  
he's the level of edgy i aspire to be  
**  
** **spooky christmas**  
I LAUGHED  
  
**dev added błûrrÿfãçē in the chat!**  
  
**dev**  
ur the level of edgy i aspire to be blurry  
**  
** **błûrrÿfãçē**  
good to know


	2. II: How to be Ashamed of Yourself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: attempt at sexual assault

The party was chaotic, as all high school parties are. Spooky Jim didn't mind it, he just mostly kept to himself, giving some smiles around to his friends whenever he spotted them. He wasn't drinking anything, just sitting in the corner awkwardly. It was a big party, and things were already going crazy. He kind of wished he was being social. However, unlike the rest of the attendees, he wasn't one to have hookups or anything. He wasn't the only one though, Black Tear was here and made it obvious she was strictly here for anything but a hookup after a guy catcalled her. He got slapped.  
  
But even she was partaking in drinking games and laughing when playing truth or dare. Spooky, on the other hand, was sitting at the kitchen table eating Oreos. All of his other friends (and ex-friends) were present, but they were off doing their own thing.  
  
Spooky didn't even notice Blurryface wasn't there until someone greeted him at the door. Devotee stopped socializing for a second to walk him through the crowd.  
  
"There's a hallway off the kitchen, and the door on the right is my bedroom. If anyone's in there, kick them out and send them to me so I can kick their ass. No one should go in there except you. But if you ever wanna hop out and talk or something, me and Nic will stay with you or maybe Crimson or someone."  
  
Blurry nodded, sighing. Spooky waved as he passed, "Hey Blurry."  
  
"Yo," was the boy's quiet reply. Blurry kept walking, the door slamming behind him once he reached Devotee's room.  
  
Spooky took notice of what everyone was doing out of boredom, teeth biting at another Oreo lazily.  
  
Hurricane and Crimson Curse were sat on the couch full-on making out, which wasn't surprising at all. They always did that at parties. Devotee was giggling with Nicotine, both probably high on cannabis or something. He didn't know where Black was.  
  
Even Party Poison and his group were here. Young Menace had both Soul Punk and Kobra Kid on his arms, Kobra looking annoyed as ever and Soul seemingly excited. Fun Ghoul was currently right alongside Party Poison himself, saying something in the redhead's ear. They walked off together.  
  
And then Spooky noticed another girl was here, one he had a rather strong hate for but also kinda forgot existed for the time being. Radio Rebel, the girl who'd been trying to get into Spooky's pants ever since freshman year and wouldn't stop, just because they were lab partners in Biology class and they lived in the same neighborhood. He routinely got texts from her and Snapchats and even once "accidental" nudes. He had a streak with her, which probably gave her the notion that it was okay to try and do this shit with him (Surprise, it's not!). She was notorious for hating on Spooky's friend group since they gave him attention and "distracted" him from her, even though Spooky was avoiding her by himself. She was also homophobic, meaning she hated all of Spooky's friends. Spooky telling her he was bisexual himself would either go one of two ways: her shrieking and blocking him and trying to murder him or her only becoming more of a whore and trying to "convert" him.  
  
He stayed silent about that.  
  
Radio was currently playing spin the bottle with some others that Spooky didn't know. Her hair was pulled back, and her nails were so sharp they looked like talons, and she had on the most revealing outfit in the world. Spooky wanted to puke. He stared in disgust for too long because Radio caught Spooky's eyes and abruptly got up from her spot and slowly made her way over to the table, swaying her hips. It was disgusting in Spooky's eyes how trashy she would come off. He broke his gaze in a snap.  
  
"After all this time, you're finally staring at me, huh Spooky? Guess I finally did something right this time," she tried to joke, a sharp grey nail rubbing against her thumb, moving towards him. He slapped her hand away and scooted his chair back. She took this as an invite to advance her body further into him. He felt sick.  
  
"You got the wrong idea," he deadpanned, "get off me."  
  
"C’mon, Spooky, at least try something? It’ll be fun, I promise."  
  
"No, Radio. Go away."  
  
"Come with me."  
  
"No means no, now leave me the fuck alone." Spooky narrowed his eyes. trying to pry her nails off of him. He couldn't believe he was having to do this. None of his friends saw this going down.  
  
"I said, come with me." and suddenly her nails were piercing Spooky Jim's wrist, the boy wincing in pain as she yanked him out of the chair and off. He would look like a fool if he snapped to the ground, so Spooky tried to get his legs to carry him until he could get away.  
  
That was his biggest fault.  
  
He tried so hard to get away. Nobody saw them, though. He tried to get someone's attention, tried to peel away Devotee from Nicotine. He tried yelling at Hurricane, at Crimson. Everything was fuzzy in his vision, and everyone around him seemed to think this was okay.  
  
It wasn't enough.  
  
"Radio, I said no!" He gritted, trying to get her nails out of his skin. There was a little bit of blood on his wrist.  
  
"Too bad, asshole. I want this and you're not going to fucking ghost me this time," she snapped. And they were in a bedroom, Spooky trying to push the girl’s face away. His ankle hit the bed and he winced, stumbling and falling against a bed. Radio kept advancing on him, he wondered if she was drunk.  
  
Too much.  
  
Her hand was going down his chest before he yanked it away and she grunted, frustrated. “Spooky, c’mon, just trust me here,” she said. She pushed him back against the bed further. His brain stopped working.  
  
Spooky was so _stupid_.  
  
So stupid. He couldn't even put up a fight to protect himself. It's not even like he was weak either, he could probably break her nose, but he was locked down.  
  
Better yet, this was going to absolutely ruin his year. But that seemed like the least of his fucking worries.  
  
"Radio, stop it right now, I swear to God,” the redhead choked out. He couldn't do anything. He was pinned down and trapped. He tried to scream for help, he tried so hard. But his senses stopped and he couldn't breathe. The only thing circling in his mind was how much of a weak person he was. He was supposed to be better than this. He wasn't good enough this time.  
  
The girl had her hands on his jeans, giggling. "Calm down, it'll feel nice once I start." Spooky wished maybe some vile could surface and that he could puke. He didn't know people were actually like this. This shit only happened on weird TV shows.  
  
"No it fucking won't, just stop, please, this is not fucking okay," Spooky pleaded, trying to reach for her and push her away because she was far too close. He could not move. This was so minor, nothing big was happening, this was so stupid, yet somehow he was still upset. He tried kicking her, and it somewhat worked. The girl let out a yell, but it only motivated her more. Fortunately, a nail got hung on a button or something and she was stopped. She tried to kiss the boy, but he hit her nose away. 

He got to thinking and realized that he was dangerously close to becoming a victim of assault. As much as he tried, it wasn't enough and no one could save him. He was more worried about the stir this would cause if anything, but right now his body literally hurt and he couldn't bring himself to breathe or even pick out his surroundings with the violent ringing pounding in his ears. He wondered if this was a panic attack. Tears brimmed his eyes. "Please get the fuck off of me, Radio, I don't know what the fuck you're doing, get off!"  
  
"You're acting so ungrateful, my _God,_" Radio hissed. She sounded annoyed.  
  
"It's not my fault you're a fucking slut, is it? You're a disgusting, filthy rat! There's a reason I don't want to have sex with you, you _ fucking _ whore!"  
  
"Maybe,” she slurred. “It’s not like I wanna fuck you, I jus’ wanna play around like I always have. And if you tell anyone I can just turn this around on you, right? You’re a mean ol’ asshole, makes sense for you to assault someone. ‘Specially with that track record you have. How many girlfriends have you had? 6 last year? Sounds shitty to me," She hovered over him, and her hands were close. Spooky sat up, slapping her in the face. She yelled, but only got closer so Spooky's body shut down. Nothing was enough.  
  
Spooky's ears rang. He might as well be dead. Letting out an inaudible scream, he clenched his fists. No one would know about this happening, but afterward, everybody would and he was going to be forced into this stupid relationship, he knew it. all with some stupid girl that was drunkenly forcing herself into his pants. He was not going to get out of this.  
  
Until the door opened.  
  
"What the fu— _ oh my God, shit!" _  
  
Radio stopped her actions, glancing up and cursing, getting herself off of the boy. "What the fuck do you think you're doing in here?"  
  
"What the—"  
  
A laugh came over Spooky as he felt the girl get off of him. It was a bad laugh  
  
"Get the fuck out!" the other voice yelled, and Spooky could hear more ringing. Too late. He laughed some more, and then stopped.  
  
Spooky could hear a slap and a thud, and a cry that was definitely female.  
  
"What the _fuck_ do you think you're pulling?!" a yell came.  
  
"I—"  
  
"Fucking save it, you whore. Get the fuck out, I'm telling Devotee. That's assault."  
  
"He wanted i—"  
  
"I know about you and I know about him. He did not fucking want anything! You fucking assaulted him, no matter what you did! He might as well be unconscious _dammit!_ You absolute _cunt,_ you need to leave. Look at him! Look at what you've done! He might as well be dead! Fuck you, fuck this, and get the hell away from him. Touch him again and you're going to fucking _ die _ and rot in hell!"  
  
Another slap, shove, and a shriek.  
  
That's when the door slammed shut.  
  
The victim didn't register anything except for the yelling that sounded incoherent. Stunned.  
  
There was a shuffle, and then the same rescuer spoke again, "Holy _shit_, holy fucking shit, that was terrifying. Can-can you open your eyes, Spooky? Can you hear me?"  
  
There was a blur and hot tears as the stunned boy's red eyelids opened. "Yeah, yeah I can hear you just fine—" He was giggling, low and sickening. This was his luck.  
  
"Hold on." the other sat down on the bed, a small creak sounded. The blanket was lifted over the redhead's waist, even though nothing was exposed.  
  
A hand touched Spooky Jim's shoulders, and there was a flinch and a shiver. The hand retracted, but softly was placed again. The other met Spooky's wait, and he was suddenly sitting up partially after a heavy sigh came from the other. That's when he realized who was sitting with him. A pair of red eyes, attached to a softened face and black neck.  
  
"Blurryface—?" Spooky's eyes widened, and he froze slightly.  
  
"I—how?" Blurry's voice was soft and deadly quiet, contrasting with worry and anger.  
  
He started laughing again, "Sh-she forced me to come in here, then she started, and I tried to tell her she was nasty and all that shit, but I wasn't good enough and then she just kept going and she didn’t actually get anywhere but she almost did and," Spooky gasped, running out of breath.  
  
"Shit, sorry, different question, are you okay?"  
  
"Does it look like I'm okay, Blurryface? You fucking idiot."  
  
Blurry flinched, "I should have come earlier. I-I heard what was going on and I— I thought it was someone else," the red-eyed boy sniffed. “But I thought I heard you and her and I knew there was no way that you’d—and Devotee doesn’t like people in the rooms and oh _ God _ I’m sorry—”  
  
"It's not—it's not your fault. It's mine, I just—I was a fucking idiot I just—"  
  
"Oh my God, it was your fault _ my ass! _ She did this to you, Spooky. That's all her fault. You did nothing wrong! You couldn't do anything, just please— don't think that." Blurry's eyes were extremely bright, alarmed, almost glowing.  
  
"Why'd you come? Why'd you tell her off?" Spooky asked quietly. "It's not like things will get any better for me, and I really didn't want to start any of this shit. God, I'm shit at being a human."  
  
Blurry shifted slightly, away from the other. "Don't say that, she's a fucking sociopath. You were in trouble and I couldn't let her just do that. I may be an ass, but you could've gotten hurt, this could've ended much worse than it already is."  
  
Spooky went silent, blinking slowly. "I thought you hated me or some shit?"  
  
"I don't _hate_ you." Blurry responded, sighing. "I just don't get close to people."  
  
Spooky looked at him, and then looked back down at himself, processing everything. "This fucking sucks."  
  
"Yeah," Blurry nodded.  
  
"Can we leave?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, let me tell Devotee, stay in here, if she comes back or is anyone else does something, I need you to like...yell, say my name or um...something okay?"  
  
Spooky nodded.  
  
The door was closed.

* * *

Blurry was shaking. Violently. 

He just walked into that. And now he was pushing through people and spilling drinks with nothing else in mind other than getting that girl out of this place.

He was not an asshole. Today, he was doing something right. Today, his anger was justified. 

"Devotee, I need you to find someone right now," Blurryface demanded in a low tone, faced towards Devotee's back.  
  
"Ah, hello Blurry!" Devotee smiled unknowingly as he turned around, detaching himself from Nicotine, "what was that again? Sorry, I—"  
  
"Radio Rebel. Where the hell is she?!" Blurry repeated, eyes darker than usual. He was flaming with anger, his surroundings were contaminated by it. People knew he was upset as they turned their attention to him. His fists were clenched, he looked ready to punch someone.  
  
"Who? Wait, Blurry, who?" Devotee frowned, knowing the look on his friend's face. Despite being both drunk and high, the boy knew when he needed to be serious.  
  
"Radio. Where the fuck did she go?"  
  
"She's over there," Devotee pointing. Blurry looked to see Radio talking to her friends. Blurry began to walk over, but Devotee stopped him. "Why, what happened? Blurry, did she—"  
  
"She—she almost raped—shit, not raped, well, she—"  
  
"Did she hurt you?" Devotee's small horns began to curl. They never excessively curled unless Devotee was becoming extremely tense or angered.  
  
"No, but Spooky is abandoned in that room over there, stone cold, she tried to do shit and he couldn't get away." Blurry shook slightly, tears brimming. Too fragile. 

He hadn’t even ever had any experience with this stuff. His tears were alarming.  
  
"Fuck, hold on." Devotee cursed more before gathering in the middle of the room. He cut the music off with a remote, and the atmosphere went dead silent. It was terrifying, "I need everyone to leave immediately! Right now, you little shits! All of you, except some. You know who you are. The rest of you, get the fuck out, party's over. Something came up," Devotee yelled, skin bluing more and more as his fists clenched together.  
  
Everyone yelled in disagreement, but they filed out, because Hurricane was up, ready to phone the cops to frame a story. The aqua haired girl proceeded to check rooms to kick others out.  
  
Blurryface grimaced as someone spilled their drink on the floor, and another one cussed them out.  
  
Once everyone was out, the small group gathered, minus Spooky, and everyone began talking at once. Blurryface left abruptly, running to the room where the redhead lay.  
  
"Spooky, are you alright?" he asked in a softer voice, scared of hurting the boy.  
  
"I'm alive, what happened out there? There was yelling and stuff." Spooky asked in a groggy tone, eyes still blown wide. The covers that were over his lap remained, however, he was shirtless and his clothes were on the floor.  
  
"None of your concern, the party is over." Blurry paused, thinking. "I'm taking you home with me. I guess. If you want. Do you want help up?"  
  
"I'm naked, dumbass. I mean, the clothes felt weird. I need a shower. And I don't wanna put those back on," Spooky Jim whispered in response.  
  
"Okay...?” Blurry questioned. He didn’t know why, but he assumed the worst and just nodded. “I’ll uh, I'll go and get some of Devotee's clothes. Stay here, if you move make sure you're covered, okay? I don't wanna see—"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I’m staying put" Spooky mumbled.

* * *

The aftermath of this was fucking _strange._   
  
Blurry ran down the hall and across to the host's room, grabbing some black sweat pants and a t-shirt, along with a fresh pair of boxers from Devotee's clean laundry pile.  
  
He returned soon after. "Devotee looks your size, here." The red-eyed boy threw the clothes on the bed, turning towards the door while Spooky stood up and dressed.  
  
He heard shaking breaths about three minutes later, and suddenly there was crying. It was dead silent, but Blurry heard the sniffing and could tell.  
  
Hesitantly turning around, Blurry's now blood-red eyes widened greatly at the sight of long scratches along the arms of the boy across from him. He was pale, blood dried on his wrists as the scratches rose. Spooky was scarily still.  
  
"Oh my god, did she fucking—"  
  
"I fucked it all up, holy shit, I've done it." Spooky shook, hands veiling his face as he stood.  
  
"No, you did nothing wrong, she's such a _tramp__,_ here, d-do you need help with your shirt?" Blurryface approached the brown-eyed boy, who nodded slightly as he removed his hands from over his eyes.  
  
Even though Blurryface was considerably shorter, he stood on his tiptoes to fit the loose shirt over Spooky's head as the other slid his arms through. There were sniffs and a few more tears. Spooky tried to keep his composure. Making eye contact, Blurry squinted slightly, "Alright, you ready to go?"  
  
"Please," Spooky whispered. Blurryface was careful not to touch him anymore, in pure fear that he would trigger the taller again, but he stayed close as he led them out of the room and towards the group, who stared at the pair, mainly the redhead with sorrow. Crimson was crying for some reason, arms attached to Hurricane as she wept silently. Devotee was busy cleaning with Nicotine to the side, but they caught Blurryface and Spooky and waved slightly as the two headed out with Hurricane and Crimson. Blurry looked at the clock, it was 11 PM.  
  
Complete silence.

* * *

"Caroline?" The boy's voice echoed in the foyer.  
  
The blonde woman stepped from the kitchen, seeing Blurryface and Spooky Jim in front of the door.  
  
"Um, This is my friend Spooky, I don't know, if you remember him, he's gonna stay the night if that's alright. Sorry if I bothered you," Blurry mumbled.  
  
The redhead behind him was silent and stared into a seeming abyss as Caroline smiled, very surprised, "Oh! Of course, Blurry. Don't stay up too long though, and try and keep quiet. Your father is sleeping." She looked at the redhead. "Nice to see you again, Spooky."

Spooky blinked, giving a tight smile to the woman. "You too, thank you for letting me stay."

"It's not a problem, glad to see Blurry actually have someone with him." She looked to her stepson. "Keep quiet, okay, B?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
Spooky Jim just stared, following Blurryface up the stairs to his room. The room still looked like it was damaged from a tornado, but Spooky could care less, deep brown eyes flicking down to some stray papers every once and a while to see the phrases kept on them.  
  
"You can take the bed, I can sleep on the floor," Blurry mumbled.  
  
"You're a lot nicer at home," Spooky observed, removing his shoes. "Also, how is your mom so...chill? Can you just like...bring random people over and say they're your friend and always have her that nice?"  
  
Blurry met Spooky's rather puzzled eyes, sighing, "She knows you, first of all. She's met everyone I'm friends with and since I'm lame and have no friends she's very open to me hanging out with people outside of school. She trusts me, I guess, and she's the only sane one, so I shouldn't be an ass around her. But I'm not," Blurry air quoted, "_'nice' _to the rest of my family. They're all shit."  
  
Spooky nodded. Seeing Blurry this still and soft was interesting and new, even after knowing him for over a year. It was different, and that wasn't good or bad. It was just, different. Unsettling. "Are you sure you wanna sleep on the floor?"  
  
"You need the bed, stupid, just be quiet and sleep, okay?" Blurryface whispered, eyes bright red.  
  
"Okay. Goodnight, Blurryface...?" Spooky's remark came out more like a question. He never really thought he'd be in this situation ever. Blurry wasn't his most favorite out of their friends, but his least favorite person also wasn't the black-handed boy.  
  
"Night."  
  
It was a good few minutes later, and Spooky was sound asleep, his red hair scruffed up as he laid against the pillow, arm draped around it. The light was off.  
  
Blurryface was picking up his mess, phone flashlight in hand when Caroline knocked softly on the door, peeking in to see Spooky Jim sleeping. "Blurry?" she murmured, "Can we talk?" Blurryface groaned, rolling his eyes. He hummed, nodding and slowly making his way out the door.  
  
"Is your friend okay?" Caroline asked, facing Blurryface outside in the hallway.  
  
"Uh, he got into some trouble at the party, and uh, he got knocked up really bad. I decided it would be best if he had someone with him until tomorrow, so I took matters into my own hands. Sorry it was so abrupt."  
  
"That's sweet of you, Blurry, it's nice to see you be kind like that." Caroline smiled.  
  
"I guess," Blurry muttered.  
  
"Alright, well, call me if you two need anything. Get some rest, please."  
  
"Alright," and with that, Caroline turned around to walk to her room, leaving Blurryface looking straight ahead before shaking his head slightly and re-entering his bedroom.

* * *

Spooky Jim was panting when he shot up. It was dark outside, and he had no clue as to where the hell he was. "Fucking hell," he groaned. An alarm clock was next to him. It read 2:21 AM. It wasn't day yet.  
  
Spooky was late to find out he wasn't alone. A pair of gleaming red eyes and dark hair was across the room, staring at the ceiling fan, wide awake. Blurryface jumped slightly when the redhead awoke.  
  
"Shit, you okay?" Blurry asked, worry laced in his tone.  
  
Spooky Jim was breathing heavily, "It keeps replaying, it won't go away." He paused, gulping. "She won't go away."  
  
"Can I get you water or something?" Blurryface asked, getting off of his blankets on the floor and sitting up beside the bed. His tone was soft, tired and concerned. It was so, _ not him _ to Spooky. He was used to the dark and deadbeat version of the boy.  
  
But then again, Spooky didn't truly know Blurryface. His curiosity had dissolved over the past year.  
  
"My head hurts like hell."  
  
"Did you drink?"  
  
"No, not tonight. I don't know, it's probably just—"  
  
"No need to elaborate if you don't want to," Blurry interfered. "Do you wanna come with me downstairs? It's fine if you wanna be alone though," he asked, standing up.  
  
"Sure," Spooky replied, running a hand through his vibrant red hair and getting out of the bed. He was sweaty, still shaken from the dream.  
  
The two boys walked downstairs, both making sure to keep quiet because of Blurryface's sleeping household. The kitchen was close to the stairs, the red-eyed boy opening the fridge to access the water. He opened the cabinet to get out a black mug, filling it with water afterward. He handed it to his guest, their fingers touching slightly in the dark.  
  
Spooky Jim shivered again, this time from the touch, to which Blurryface retracted his hand and flinched. "Fuck, 'm sorry," he whispered.  
  
"It's alright, don't worry about it," the brown-eyed boy replied.  
  
The two stood there in silence before Spooky set down the mug. "So, uh, were you still awake when I woke up?" he asked quietly.  
  
"I have sleeping troubles. Doctors said it was something close to insomnia or whatever," Blurryface explained. Spooky Jim's eyes widened slightly. Blurry himself didn't know why he was telling the other this.  
  
"Have you tried sleeping pills?"  
  
Blurryface looked down at his feet, hesitating. "Caroline doesn't allow them."  
  
The redhead blinked, "Oh?" He meant for it to come out as a simple reply, but his voice heightened to where it sounded more like a question.  
  
"The last time there were sleeping pills, I tried to kill myself," Blurry lamented. He froze completely. He was _not _supposed to say that. Why did he say that? He’s never said that. He squinted his eyelids closed and sighed, upset and in regret. He was going too far. This is why he never talked. Spooky was frozen too.  
  
"...Was that the week you weren't at school last year?"  
  
Blurry froze again. "Yeah. Got too lost in my own head. That's why I didn't talk."  
  
Suddenly Spooky felt like shit. He had been an absolute ass to Blurry during that time. "Holy fuck.” Blurryface almost died. “Blurry, I'm so sorry," he said. "Sorry that I was like that to you back then. I didn't know.” He sounded upset and almost horrified. “I’m such a _ dick_."  
  
"That makes the two of us,” Burry hummed, quieting. “No worries, I deserved it. I was, and still am, a jackass about that shit."  
  
"But you didn't deserve to be depressed or whatever,” Spooky countered. “I mean I always maybe thought there was something there but I never guessed you would actually... t-try.”  
  
"I don't have depression, man," Blurry told him. "Just a little fucked over. Don't pity me." He looked down, folding his arms. "Besides, it was a year ago, it's over now. And now this happened, so don't worry about me, worry about yourself. Sorry for telling you,” he said, mumbling something Spooky didn’t make out in time. He looked way too distraught over the conversation.  
  
Spooky's jaw dropped, and he shut it closed quickly after. "Blurryface, are you okay?" It was a mere mutter.  
  
"No, no I'm not."  
  
And suddenly Spooky Jim was wrapping his arms around Blurryface's waist, letting the other rest his head on Spooky's shoulder. Blurry tensed up, not knowing how to react to the gesture. His breath shortened out of surprise, but when Spooky didn't move, he relaxed a little. He didn't know who needed the hug more. They stayed like that, hugging in the small kitchen for a second, before they broke off awkwardly. Blurry couldn’t remember the last time he hugged someone, and couldn’t decide whether he liked it or hated it.  
  
"This is so weird." Blurry frowned. His eyes were wide and bright red. He was afraid, but also weirded out.  
  
The taller nodded, "Yeah. It is."

* * *

  
The group was back to normal by school on Monday. Everyone except for Blurryface and Spooky Jim, which sucked because that meant everyone was going to make assumptions about what happened.  
  
"So, what'd you two do over the weekend?" Hurricane grinned, twirling a plastic fork in her fingers.  
  
"I did my homework, why the fuck do you care?" Spooky Jim replied. It was true, Saturday morning, the redhead left Blurryface's house and went home to finish his late English essay.  
  
"I don't know, just trying to spark up some conversation. What about you, Crimson?"  
  
"Oh, shut up you bitch," Crimson slapped the aqua haired girl in the arm. It was a little less harsh and a little more joking this time, you could see that the orange-haired girl was holding back a grin.  
  
Nicotine coughed, "Are you serious?"  
  
"100 percent," Hurricane winked.  
  
Devotee and Nicotine laughed quietly, Blurryface shifting in his seat across from Spooky.  
  
"What about you, Blurry? You never answered me."  
  
"I slept in," Blurryface mumbled, darting his eyes down to his tray.  
  
"Wow, I thought maybe you would've had someone over and gotten laid. You really missed your opportunity at that party."  
  
"Well maybe I actually did something fucking right for once, you guys were too drunk to save your fucking friend." Blurry seethed, red eyes gleaming at this point. The table went silent, faces confused at the sudden outburst. This was new to them.  
  
"Wait, what happened again?" Crimson asked.  
  
"Are you fucking _ kidding me _ right now?"  
  
"Jesus, calm the fuck down, Blurryface," Devotee's hands shot up in mock innocence.  
  
"They don't remember, they were all drunk, Blurry. Just drop it," Spooky Jim reminded him.  
  
Blurryface looked quietly to Nicotine with a little hope, most of the time the smaller boy remembered things. It worked. Nicotine's went ghostly in realization, and he turned to Crimson to explain what happened, Devotee stayed silent, Blurry didn't think he wanted to talk about it. Crimson's eyes widened with Hurricane's.  
  
"We still have to kill that bitch," Devotee said lowly.  
  
"Oh no, don't you stand up. You can't do anything now. You fucking forgot. I was the only person who was actually stable that night. I fucking made sure he didn't die!" Blurryface raised his voice.  
  
"He wouldn't have died. It was only a stupid—"  
  
"Stupid?!" Blurry yelled. "I can't believe you right now, holy fuck you are so ignorant." The red-eyed boy hissed. "Now shut the fuck up, end of conversation, you're a horrible 'friend'."  
  
There was complete silence as Blurryface grabbed his tray and left the table.  
  
"I haven't seen him get this pressed in forever," Nicotine mumbled. "Is he okay?"  
  
"He's not," Spooky said, uncomfortable. He stood up. "I'm going to go. I have to get my detention slip."  
  
"Damn, what'd you get detention for?" Devotee asked, still on edge from the previous conversation.  
  
The redhead rolled his eyes, "My late English essay."  
  
"While you're at it, go tell Blurryface to go fucking calm down!" Hurricane exclaimed.  
  
"No thanks," Spooky exhaled. He walked off, leaving the rest to an empty table. That day was going to be rough.

* * *

It was Blurryface's free period, actually, it was the entire group's free period. They were sitting at a table outside. Spooky was doing homework, Blurry on his phone. The girls were reapplying their makeup. Nicotine punched Devotee in the arm after the blue-tinted boy complained that he couldn't smoke pot in the hallways, and he really needed a joint apparently.  
  
"D, you've already had one today, Jesus Christ," Nicotine muttered.  
  
"I'm up for one after school, Dev," said Hurricane, Crimson latched to her arm. Blurryface suspected the two ladies' little fling wouldn't last another week. That was always how it went. It was like a cycle.  
  
Devotee nodded, "Alright. Is Crim coming with you?"  
  
"I'll tag along. Not gonna do anything though, I'm tired of inhaling that shit. It's all over my sister's car, she always has one on her."  
  
"Fine by me," Devotee replied.  
  
"I'm assuming you don't wanna join, Spooky?"  
  
"No." Spooky Jim rolled his eyes, giving Hurricane an _ are-you-kidding-me-right-now _ expression. Blurryface snickered. They didn't even bother asking about him.  
  
Nicotine then started talking about some song he wrote, something with nine in it. Blurryface paid no attention, only to the sky and the clouds. The clouds were greyish, it looked as if it might drizzle later in the afternoon.  
  
Blurryface then remembered the name of Nicotine's song.  
  
"Man, we were high as fuck when we wrote that," Devotee laughed. A silence fell among the group quickly as Hurricane pierced her eyes to the side.  
  
"Look out, whore alert," Crimson muttered. A bleach blonde was making her way towards the group.  
  
Blurryface stood up, Nicotine clearing his throat, seemingly in worry.  
  
Then the two were face to face, Blurry's red eyes staring right at the girl. Her makeup was extremely caked on, and her false lashes did not suit her. She looked desperate for attention.  
  
"What the fuck do you want, Radio?" Blurryface growled.  
  
"Just wanted to come say hi, and check on Spooky," she replied in faux innocence. She most likely wanted to play the victim, or not stir up too much of a scene.  
  
"Don't act all innocent. You don't fucking deserve to be here right now." There was silence, and Radio's mood took a complete 180.  
  
"I'm not acting innocent, asshole. I was drunk, okay? I came to...apologize."  
  
She walked forward, angry before Blurryface could stop her. Ready to grab her wrists and practically strangle her, Blurryface seethed when Devotee yelled, "It's not worth it, Blurry!"  
  
The brunet kept his fingers balled, keeping a close eye on the girl.  
  
"Sorry, Spooky. Also, my boyfriend wants to have a chat with you. I told him and my friends what happened, and they think I'm innocent," she smiled.  
  
Crimson stood up this time. "I suppose you shut the fuck up, slut. Nobody wants you here."  
  
The other female scowled. "Who the fuck is going to believe you all? You're all downright fucking assholes, all you do is pick fights, smoke and get trouble! Who the hell is going to think Spooky was the one assaulted? I, on the other hand, have a perfect reputation. So you’re all gonna look fucking stupid."  
  
She stormed off. The redheaded boy was stone cold and expressionless, in shock. There were more footsteps, someone right behind her back.  
  
"I've got photos and videos of that night, hit me up when you need it. I want something in return though." announced a female voice. A girl with now bubblegum pink hair was facing them, the same blue eyes and smokey makeup as before.  
  
"You're a godsend, Black Tear."

* * *

  
  
It was all a haze when it happened two days after the yelling incident. Outside the school in the back parking lot, Blurryface paid little to no attention to anything. Head ducked, he strode past students, a basic frown on his face.

That is, before he heard the student’s yells. Blurry darted his head straight up towards the noise in suspicion, and his eyes widened a little at the sight of a fight.  
  
And who exactly was getting jumped. And how nobody was pulling them apart. There were two people watching, one recording about three cars away  
  
"Fucking shit," he muttered before running over to the commotion. Another kid was throwing a punch at a pale face, blood released from the victim's pink-red lips. The sight hurt to watch. Blurryface ran to the center of it, red eyes on fire as he started yelling. "Get the _ fuck _ off him!" the boy growled, running up to grab the predator's shoulders and push him on the ground in force.  
  
The student groaned in response, about to return to his feet as Blurryface walked back up to him and grabbed him by the collar.  
  
"You idiot, get the fuck away! Don't fucking touch him! What makes you think that was _ in any fucking way _ a good idea?!" he raged, spitting profanities every way possible. The anonymous boy grunted, teeth clenched as he tried to swing at Blurry.  
  
"What are you gonna do about it, huh?" Eyes wild, he trailed them down to the ground.  
  
Blurry laughed, laces of insanity inside. "Look at my face, you piece of shit."  
  
The guy continued to look down.  
  
"I said, look at my face!"  
  
Blurry took his chin and shot it up eye level. "Do _ not _put your hands on him again, understand?”

  
The predator shook his head. “You don’t understand. He hurt my fucking girlfriend.”  
  
"Oh, _ bullshit_!” Blurry lowered his voice. “You wanna know what your girlfriend was doing Friday night? She was cheating on you. She was putting her filthy hands all over that kid over there when he told her not to. I walked in on them. I saw her, and I beat her ass until she cried and left that room. So I’ll repeat myself: Touch him one more time and I will not hesitate to fucking beat your ass too and report you to the fucking police, you hear?"  
  
The boy frowned, eyes in slits at Blurry. "She would never, douchebag," he whispered.  
  
"Oh, she would, too. Now you’re going to leave, you’re going to go have a fight with your skanky little rat, and you are going to leave everything else alone before I leave you unconscious," Blurry growled. Releasing the boy, he pushed him back again and watched him run off.  
  
Blurryface wasn't done with this, though. The victim was laid on the ground, eyes wide, blood splattered a little over his pale cheek.  
  
Looking at the two students nearby, Blurry scowled at them all. There was a phone out, video recording the entire ordeal. "I want you to fucking scram. Right now."  
  
They then started yelling at Blurry, incoherent protesting. He walked over to them, frustrated and shaking his head before ripping the girl’s phone out of her hand and deleting the video off of her camera roll while she made an attempt to get it back. Blurry threw it back to her. “Just make a fucking Twitter thread, bitch. Go home.”  
  
That's when a female voice yelled, “Blurry, what the _fuck _is happening?! Hey, girlies! Go away! This isn’t the fucking place to be!” Hurricane approached quickly.

The girls shook their heads and left.

“You need some tissues and shit? I have some in my car,” she said, out of breath.  
  
"Please," he responded, eyes darting to the heap of red on the ground. His canvas shoes _clapped_ against the ground as he paced over to the frozen boy.  
  
"I-I don't need anything," the boy mumbled. "I'm okay."  
  
"No you're not, you just got fucking jumped." Blurry opposed, crouching down next to the boy.  
  
"Blurryface, I'm okay, I can just—"  
  
"No you're fucking _not,_ Spooky!" Blurry raised his voice, holding his shoulder.  
  
Spooky flinched, head cowering.  
  
"Look at me, Spooky." Blurry mumbled.  
  
Spooky Jim met his eyes with the red ones. Upon close inspection, Blurry sighed at the blood and scratches littering his face.  
  
"You have bruises all over your face, your lip is cut." Blurry spat, using a thumb and trying to gently wipe the red substance off the side of the red-haired boy's lips. Spooky Jim winced again, his hair disheveled.  
  
"That douche could have knocked you unconscious."  
  
"I—"  
  
"But if you would have tried to disprove all of Radio’s rumors a few days ago, Spooky," Blurryface sighed, "you would have never gotten fucking _jumped,_ idiot."  
  
And with that, Blurry left the other's gaze and walked off, just in time for Hurricane to arrive with a box of tissues and some water. The female let out a noise of disbelief as she watched Blurry walk away from the pain induced boy.  
  
"You're a complete ass, Blurryface!"  
  
"I'm well aware!" he shot back, not bothering to make eye contact anymore.

* * *

"Can I help you?"  
  
"What do you want in exchange for your pictures?" Blurryface sighed, standing next to Black Tear, who was leaning against a locker with an earbud in.  
  
"Ah, you came around. Listen, I don't wanna get into this assault drama with you and your uh, shit, friend or whatever, I just want you to stay out of drama." Black Tear replied, a frown tugging at her lips.  
  
"What the hell do you mean by that?"  
  
The girl tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear. "I mean that I don't have any fucking time to pick fights. I have to raise my sisters and my mom literally took me out from my last school for fucking getting into fights and I'm tired of it, I'm surprised you and your group hasn't gotten kicked out," she stressed. “I need people to hang around. But not people who get themselves into shit like this.”  
  
Blurry stood. "Listen, people are lax here, okay? Trust me, I don't want to get into shit either but that's what you get when you hang around those people, just deal with it and stay out of it by yourself. Now, it would really be helpful if I could have that shit so Radio doesn't go around acting like she isn't a complete slut."  
  
"Don't think people are just going to think you're innocent, Blurryface. You have a reputation for being a complete asshole. If I wasn't who I was, I'd definitely believe Radio more than you or Spooky or anyone in y'all's flimsy clique. Just keep me out of this, okay? I don't need trouble."  
  
"Funny how you think you can stride in here and pretend like you run this thing when you don't know any of us."  
  
"They don't know you, either, Blurry."

* * *

"The shit you got into that fight with is apparently Radio Rebel's boyfriend," Hurricane said, smacking down her phone beside Spooky Jim, who had an ice pack on his cheek. They sat in Spooky’s car, alone.

"You're joking," Spooky Jim pretended to be shocked, taking the phone carefully and looking at the Instagram post. He already knew.

"What a whore," Hurricane scoffed. She took her phone back, closing out of the app and shutting it off. "I still can't believe Blurryface just walked away like that."

"I can."

"Well that doesn't exactly surprise me, you two kind of hate each other," Hurricane replied.

Spooky blanked, flinching at the word hate, strictly remembering back to the party.

_ I don't hate you. _

"He doesn't hate me," the bloodied redhead spoke out of the blue, eyes staring at the wall. "He told me so. Blurryface just doesn’t like anyone."

"Blurry hates everyone. He's a cocky asshole, and that's toxic, and you don't need to communicate with toxic people especially after this. He’s fucking weird and probaby psychotic. You don't know him."

"He saved me from Radio." Spooky whispered.

Hurricane sighed, "Oh, don’t even try to start being friends with him. He's fucking weird and probably a toxic person to be around and that's final. You want me to drive you home?"

"No, I can drive. And for the record, I think every one of us is fucked up. You included." Spooky Jim wanted to tell Hurricane that the poor boy was suicidal, and he wasn't toxic. It wasn't his fault. It was whatever entered his brain. Spooky was sure of it. But he wouldn't just blurt out that Blurryface had suicidal thoughts, that was private. Even if Spooky was an ass himself, he wasn't going to share something so fragile. But he looked at everything so differently now, and he wondered if people knew, maybe they'd lessen up on their distaste towards the brunet.

Hurricane scoffed, leaving the car. 

* * *

The next day at school, Party Poison showed up at Spooky’s lunch table he was sitting at in the morning. Nobody was at school yet, except for Black, but she was using the restroom.

"Goddamnit, why you?" Spooky Jim moaned, closing his eyes in frustration.

"One of Radio Rebel’s friends told me you tried to have sex with her. Is that true?" Party asked, eyebrows furrowed. He was mad.

"You're kidding me right now, do you really think I assaulted her? You better shut the fuck up." Spooky Jim whispered. "You know who I am and you know who she is."

“Yeah, well you used to not fucking go to parties and hang out with asshole stoners and do that. You’ve changed, Spooky, so I don't know if I can believe you.”

"Shut up, Demolition."

"Don't call me that."

“Okay, then don’t tell me I’ve changed and done something that I was the fucking victim of.” Spooky tried to keep his breathing regulated. Why the fuck did Party care about any of this bullshit? They didn’t even talk anymore for fucks sake! Spooky groaned.

"Doesn't seem like it. Radio sounded convincing, and I’m not believing anything else because you’ve become a piece of shit. Unless you have evidence.”

"That shouldn't be a problem, then," another voice came, belonging to Blurryface, who stood behind Party Poison with a phone in hand, his fingers shaking. Party turned to face him, surprised. He didn't look happy.

"If you want your stupid evidence so bad, here it fucking is.”

Spooky looked away, hands in his face.

Blurryface shivered, tapping through each photo and video.

Black Tear was good at keeping record of what goes down at parties, apparently. The photos gave clear information about what was going on, or more so what was about to happen, and there was even a video of Spooky trying to get away before the door shut.

Personally, Blurry found it funny how Black could video this but not try and stop it herself, but he didn't say anything. The way they were taken was almost terrifying. 

“Shit,” Party mumbled. “I’m sorry, Spooky.”

“Fuck off, Party, Just fuck off,” Spooky replied, hurt.

Party Poison stood there, silent. Blurry looked at him, locking the phone and raising his eyebrows. “You heard him. Go.”

Spooky hoped to God that Party would leave him alone.

* * *

  
  
A few weeks passed. The ordeal was over. Things were back to "normal".  
  
Normal made Blurryface uncomfortable.  
  
Radio Rebel was framed, and suspended for harassment for a week. (This was punishment for what went down on school grounds). Spooky went to the counselor a few times, and apparently his family did nothing but pray for him. People continued on with their lives, as if it was causal and they had something more important than the events that went down that one Friday, but that was thanks to the fact that other things happened. It was all different, yet perfectly fine. Black Tear even joined the red-eyed boy with his friends.  
  
Blurryface was also officially starting to become friends with Spooky Jim, as the two had started hanging out more often, distracting Blurryface heavily from the flow of phrases and thoughts that would cloud his mind. He even found himself having the redhead over to his own house a few times. Again, it was weird, but Blurryface let it slide for whatever reason. He wouldn’t let it go too far.  
  
Hurricane and Crimson were back to pissing each other off all the time, and Nicotine and Devotee decided to start writing songs together. So much had happened that it was almost overwhelming. Sadly, that's what Blurry was used to. Today, the group was at lunch, talking aimlessly. Blurryface shot occasional glances over to Party Poison's table, in mere interest. They hadn't talked to Spooky in a while anymore. He knew that Spooky had been friends with them in his freshman year, but they apparently had a fight and so that's when Devotee brought Spooky into the group. He knew Devotee replaced the role that Party and Ghoul had as Spooky's best friend. He was starting to wonder if he was going to end up being a replacement too.  
  
And if he was a replacement, he could also be replaced himself just as easily.  
  
Blurry didn't want to think about that.  
  
"They're so fake," Spooky sighed, looking over Blurry's shoulder. Blurryface huffed.  
  
"You can say that again."  
  
"No, I mean they're literally fake. Party Poison isn't his legal name. Neither is Fun Ghoul's."  
  
"You're shitting me, right?" Black Tear asked, joining in. The rest of the group changed their focus as well. Blurryface frowned.  
  
Hurricane dropped her spoon. "You're serious? Holy shit, I forgot about that."  
  
"Dead," Spooky Jim muttered. "Back when we were friends, Party's name was actually Demolition. He changed it a few months into sophomore year, after his grandmother died, remember?. Helena. She was nice. Par- I mean Demolition, he actually has reddish around his eyes like I do, his is subtle though. Uses concealer to cover it up now I guess.. It's how we met. And he actually has brown-black hair. He dyed it red."  
  
"That fucker stole your hair," Devotee replied.  
  
"Mhm."  
  
"What about Fun Ghoul? Or whatever his name is." Blurry said, trailing off as his eyes lingered on the jacket-clad redhead at the table across the room. He never cared to get to know them, this information was new.  
  
"Cellabration? Yeah, that's him. He hasn't changed at all. Just his name, to fit in with Party Poison. See, I met Cellabration and Party in middle school, and they were already real close. Then they started fucking, and it was really awkward and we got into some shit, and I ended up meeting Dev so I stuck with you people. Now they hate me, because I'm with you guys." Spooky Jim reminisced. "I also thought Blurryface was Satan," he added as a joke.  
  
"Excuse me? I am _ not— _ "  
  
"Yes, Blurry, I know you're not Satan," Spooky rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying you reminded me of it. Still just as much of an ass as him though."  
  
Normal.

* * *

Spooky's music was loud as he laid in his bed, phone in his face as he texted. He needed help with his Physics work, avidly asking the group chat if they could help. He had nothing better to do with his life.  
  
**spooky christmas**  
anyone wanna help me with my physics shit  
  
**dev**  
fuck no

  
**n**  
i would but i'm at d's  
  
**bl**  
i guess i can, i'm not busy  
  
**spooky christmas**  
blurryface why is your name just bl  
  
**bl**  
why the fuck do you care  
  
**dev**  
i question your motives dude.  
**  
** **spooky christmas**  
^  
  
**bl**  
thanks asshats  
  
**spooky christmas**  
blurry are you gonna help me with my homework  
  
**bl** **  
** i guess. you want me to come over or something  
  
**spooky christmas**  
sure  
do you even know my address  
  
**bl**  
yeah i do  
**  
** **spooky christmas**  
ok  
  
**baby h**  
yall shut the fuck up im trying to sleep   
  
**bl**  
do you think i care  
  
**baby h** **  
** of course not blurry  
**  
** **spooky christmas**  
what'd you expect h ??????  
  
**baby h**  
idk maybe he'd be n i c e for once  
**  
** **spooky christmas**  
well  
maybe he is nice and you shits are just too fucking blind to see it

  
**bl**  
but i'm not nice  
**  
** **spooky christmas**  
whatever  
will you come over and help me already  
  
**bl**  
oh  
yeah  
  
**baby h**  
the simulation is glitching we're all being nice to each other  
  
**bl**  
except for you  
**  
** **baby h**  
listen  
**  
** **spooky christmas**  
if you aren't gonna come over you can just send me pictures  
**  
** **bl**  
no that makes it harder. i'm almost there calm down  
  
**dev**  
lmao plot twist blurry's going to spookys house to murder him rip spooky  
  
**spooky christmas**  
it was nice knowing y'all..

* * *

Blurry sat at the end of Spooky's bed, using a pen to etch into his skin quietly as the two listened to The Killers in the background. He'd been over for a good half hour yet the two hadn't even started (thanks to Spooky's brother, who asked about Blurryface).  
  
Spooky's assignment was out, but he wasn't focused on that. Blurryface sat near him writing lyrics on his own skin and that seemed far more important. It was Blurryface after all, Spooky reminded himself to keep an eye out for Blurry because he may still be in trouble. Spooky Jim told himself he would repay the red-eyed-boy's deed if he ever had to. That day wasn't today however. And Blurry seemed...fine. He wished he was doing something better with his weekend rather than sitting on his bed watching his loose friend pay 0 attention and write terrifying messages on his arms.  
  
"Blurry?"  
  
"Yeah, Spooky?"  
  
"I'm bored as fuck. I-I have a please don't get mad when I say this—"  
  
Blurry groaned, "Oh God, should I be scared?"  
  
"No, but I kinda want to go to that second party that Menace is having later."  
  
Spooky froze slightly as Blurry stopped writing and whipped his head over, "What?" It was a more sensitive topic now, and he'd already talked it over with the boy once before. They didn't want to. Not after that one night.  
  
"I want to go to another party," The brown-eyed boy clarified, "Second time's a charm...?"  
  
Blurrys eyes widened, "Spooky, I don't...you could...I'm scared tha—"  
  
"Like, I don't want to y'know do anything, I just, I miss the background noise and the fact that I'm with our group and eating all the food, it's really weird. I wouldn't do anything. I'd sit in a room the entire time." Spooky Jim explained.  
  
"What's...the point of that?"  
  
"I just miss it." Spooky blanked, blinking his red eyelids. "My Snapchat story is boring."  
  
"Fuck your story, Spooky. Right, okay, go to a party. But I don't want you to get...hurt," Blurryface said.  
  
"I'll be okay, Blurry. That was a one-time thing. I'm over it." The two looked at each other for a moment. Blurry looked apprehensive.  
  
"We haven't done your physics yet," he said slowly, as if wondering if that was the right thing to say in this situation. Spooky gave him slack on his social skills. They were trash, but he didn’t blame Blurry.  
  
"Yeah, we should probably do that," Spooky replied, shifting himself next to Blurryface, who had put down the pen and started to read over the papers. Spooky looked down at his arms. The ink was considerably less today. Blurry caught him looking, clearing his throat so Spooky could focus instead on his homework.  
  
Blurry ended up staying until 10 PM, not for any particular reason. They talked, and Blurry wrote more on his skin. Spooky didn't question it. They ended up listening to a band that had been formed by one of their classmates. The band was good, and the two sat quietly as the music played. Conversations were short, some dull and some thoughtful. The only thing Blurryface couldn't get out of his head was the fact that Spooky actually wanted to go to another party.  
  
Why would Spooky ever want to put himself in a situation like that ever again? Maybe the possibilities in Blurry's head were too extravagant, maybe he was overthinking it. People coped with different things in different ways than others, and he tried to keep it in his mind. Plus, if Radio had any smarts, she would know not to show at another party and pull that again. The line between Blurry not wanting Spooky to go to a party for his own good and Spooky's good was becoming extremely fuzzy in a quick matter of time, and it scared him.  
  
Spooky didn't know jackshit about Blurry, and vice versa.  
  
So why was Blurry letting himself care so much?

* * *

"Alright bitches, Menace is having another party, I say we all go." Hurricane announced, sitting down at the lunch table next to Crimson.  
  
It was like the girl tapped into Spooky's mind.  
  
"Is this just an excuse to get in my pants again?" Crimson asked, groaning.  
  
"Those leather pants of yours must take hours to get off yourself though, babydoll."  
  
"I swear to fucking God I am so done with your bullshit—"  
  
"Jesus fuck, just stop fighting already." Spooky grumbled, sounding pissed. “We get it!"  
  
"Yeah, we all know you both wanna fuck," Devotee added. Black Tear sat next to him, snorting.  
  
Crimson fumed, slamming her hand down on the table. Hurricane winked to the group.  
  
"You act like we don't already!"  
  
Spooky Jim stayed silent the entire time, a little bit over Hurricane and Cursed Crimson's stupid feud. Ever since he'd known them, they always had this weird friends with benefits thing going on. Even if Hurricane was notorious for having weekly flings that she never talked about at school. It was downright annoying seeing her act as if Crimson was ever her girlfriend.  
  
Blurryface was late to joining the group, taking a seat at the end of the table across from Spooky as usual.  
  
"I fucking hate people, no offense." Blurry grumbled.  
  
"None taken," the group staggered.  
  
"Hey, Blurry, we're going to Young's party that's on Saturday. You coming?"  
  
Blurry looked at Spooky for a split second. "Yeah." The brunet sounded tired and bored. Devotee smiled, Blurry just scoffed.  
  
"By the way, did you get that Physics shit done?" Devotee asked Spooky Jim, sipping on a can of Red Bull.  
  
"Oh, yeah, Blurryface came over and did it."  
  
"You're fucking welcome," the boy across muttered.  
  
"Thanks," Spooky spat in return.  
  
"How did you two not kill each other?" Nicotine asked. Black laughed.  
  
"We don't wanna die, you fucking moron." Blurryface told him.  
  
"Don't call him that," Devotee warned.  
  
"Okay."  
  
The dark-haired boy's horns curled slightly. "Anyone wanna chill during sixth?"  
  
"Me and Crim'll come," Hurricane replied. Black Tear also joined in. Blurryface turned up his nose at the gesture.  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
"Have any of you guys heard from Party and his shits?"  
  
"No, they haven't talked to me at all since the whole thing with Radio." Blurryface shuddered at her name, Nicotine nodded.  
  
"Same here."  
  
"I think they're coming to the party on Saturday though," Crimson said, examining her overdone holographic nails. They were cut short, so she made up for it by putting the polish and art on overdrive.  
  
"Damn, that's unfortunate." Black Tear mumbled, "Fuckin' hate them."  
  
"We all do," Spooky Jim spoke up, causing Blurry to look up when he sighed.  
  
The bell rang, and they all disbanded quietly.

* * *

Nicotine smiled as he met the group near Hurricane's locker. He had someone with him.  
  
"Hey guys, this is Violent Cain."  
  
The group, busy discussing APUSH work, all turned their heads to the student, who towered tremendously over the rest, especially Nicotine.  
  
Violent Cain waved silently.  
  
"Cain, this is Hurricane, Devotee, Cursed Crimson, Blurryface, Spooky Jim and Black Tear." Nicotine said, pointing each person out. They all mumbled hellos on different levels, Cursed's being cheerful and Blurryface at a mere mumble.  
  
Violent Cain had brown floppy hair, accompanied by some pale skin, eyeliner and striking turquoise eyes. There were two black dots on his cheeks that reminded Blurry of ink blots.  
  
"Oh, you're the one with the band, right?"  
  
"Yeah!" Violent Cain replied, smiling.  
  
"That's cool," Black Tear added, "you should sit with us at lunch today."  
  
"Oh, okay, sure."  
  
Blurryface panicked slightly, afraid that this guy would get sucked in too quickly. He had nothing to worry about though, it wasn't in his control.  
  
Both Devotee and Nicotine stared intently at the new addition, Hurricane snapping them out.  
  
"There's also a party," Hurricane explained, "this Saturday at Young Menace's place if you know him. You should come."  
  
"Are you that guy with the band?" Crimson blurted. Apparently, she didn't catch on to what was just asked. Violent shifted on his feet and gave an awkward smile.  
  
"Okay, sounds fun, and yeah, it depends on what band you're talking about." Violent Cain said. He sounded nervous in a way.  
  
"Yeah, that Brobecks band," Crimson further explained.  
  
"Oh! Yeah, yeah that's my band. One of my bands."  
  
"You have other bands?" Devotee deadpanned.  
  
"Yeah, Brobecks and this band with a really long name but everyone just calls it IDK."  
  
"Oh," Devotee frowned, "okay then."  
  
Blurryface cleared his throat, "Um, you make good music." The group all turned their heads, Blurry never talked to new people. Ever.  
  
Violent smiled, "Thanks. I try my hardest with it. It's all shit though since it's not professional, but I try."  
  
"I mean _ I _ for one wouldn't say it's shit," Nicotine mumbled. "It's better than my crap."  
  
"Our crap," Devotee reminded his boyfriend.  
  
"Right."  
  
There was more awkward conversation as the free period went on, and it was ultimately decided that Violent Cain would join the group in going to Young Menace's party on Saturday. Blurryface decided that this guy wasn't too bad, but he was scared yet again. The brunet himself was a toxic person. He knew that, and so were his friends. Violent Cain didn't seem like a horrible person, and that's what scared Blurry the most. He was ruining people. He was doing all of this. It wasn't in his control, but at the same time, it was.  
  
He was the bad guy. All of his so-called friends were too. He didn't have anyone he trusted. Every time someone new came in the group, they became bad, too.  
  
Blurry's life had been in shambles for years, he was already ruined when he was inducted, and it didn't look like it would get any clearer soon.

* * *

  
  
Spooky sighed, watching Blurryface's lips move and eyes flicker as he ordered food. They were at McDonald's, the rest of the group behind them or at a table.  
  
It was interesting how the brunet's red eyes would switch shades depending on the mood. Right now they were bright and gleaming, not soft but sharp. Come to think of it, they were never soft. He got flashbacks to last year when all he did for a little while was look at Blurry, unbeknown to the brunet. He gulped, hoping he wasn’t going to fall into those old habits. He already decided he wouldn’t...be like that towards Blurry now. But now that he got the chance to do stupid shit like stare at him all the time, it was going to be hard. There was a reason why people wanted to date him.  
  
Spooky Jim blinked out of it once Blurry finished ordering and paid, and it was his turn.  
  
"Hi, could I get a small fry and a Coke please?" he asked. The worker nodded and smiled, asked a few questions about the order and gave him his total. Spooky paid and grabbed his drink, running a hand through his hair as he turned around. Surprisingly, Blurry was there waiting, and they walked past the group members to go sit down with Black Tear, and Violent Cain, who had joined them for today.  
  
"I am so fucking tired," Black Tear complained, careful not to rub her eyes because she had makeup on.  
  
"Rest in peace," Violent muttered.  
  
"So, who else is hyped for this party?" Devotee asked as he sat down next to Violent. Spooky figured that maybe talking about parties was Devotee’s only feasible personality trait.  
  
"I'm not," Blurry sighed.  
  
"Oh, shut the fuck up, Blurry. You're never hyped."  
  
"You think I don't know that already," Blurry smiled sarcastically. "Don't believe in getting hyped over shit like that when it’s all we ever do for fun. Come to think of it, I’m not...happy about anything."  
  
"I'm not surprised."  
  
Nicotine, Hurricane and Crimson all joined them as well, taking a seat at the round table that they always sat at.  
  
"Poison is here," Hurricane's eyes widened. She looked over to a group sitting down at a table.  
  
"He's never here?" Nicotine questioned, turning his head in the direction of the group across from them.  
  
"Do you guys have something against him?" Violent Cain asked. Spooky Jim groaned, anticipating the rant that would come from Hurricane and Crimson that he'd heard a hundred times. One that always included him.  
  
"Yeah, we have lots," Crimson spat, a death glare in the direction of the others that consisted of Party, his brother and Ghoul.  
  
"Oh?" the aqua eyed boy asked.  
  
"It's way too much, I'd rather explain when I'm drunk," Hurricane said.  
  
Spooky thanked whatever God was watching over them. He looked over to Blurry, who seemed relieved as well. His hair was curly today.  
  
The group eyed their others silently, Blurryface rolling his eyes as Party Poison and Fun Ghoul approached their table.  
  
"Nice to see you have a new little bitch in your clique," Ghoul told them as he walked past, a hiss-like tone in his voice. He always reminded Spooky Jim of a snake.  
  
Violent Cain groaned, "Oh, shut up, Fun Ghoul. We all know you're just as bad as we are."  
  
Party Poison, angered, threatened, "Don't fucking tell my boyfriend to shut up."  
  
"Well then don't come flaunting over here just to fuck with me. It isn't going to work, asshole."  
  
"Oh, I'm no asshole compared to your shit group, honey," Party stated.  
  
Violent Cain sat there, unbothered. "Oh, and don't pretend that you lot aren't fucked up either, Demolition. I know what you did to Spooky last year and what you accused him of this year. Party, your entire clique here is fake. Nobody wins."  
  
"Fuck you."  
  
Spooky watched as Violent did nothing but shrug. Burryface looked mortified, and the rest of the group looked angered and upset. Party Poison stormed off, Fun Ghoul on his arm and Kobra Kid at his heel.  
  
"Holy shit," was the only thing that came softly from Nicotine's mouth.

“Bro,” Devotee told Violent, “I think I’m in love with you.”  
  
Everyone else was silent.


	3. III: Pretty Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: sexual scenes

Blurryface sat in class, the teacher grumbling out a new seating arrangement.  
  
"Soul Punk is next to Blurryface, and then behind them is Jet Star and Spooky Jim," the teacher mumbled. Blurryface groaned. The lemon blonde sat down intently next to the brunette soon after that, and Spooky crossed the classroom from his previous seat to sit himself behind Blurryface. A smile was on his face as he looked at Blurry. Blurry watched him, eyebrows raised.  
  
"I'm not talking to you," Soul Punk said suddenly.  
  
"I know you aren't, asshole," the red-eyed boy shot back in response.  
  
A boy named Jet Star joined them, awkwardly clearing his throat. "Um, I think I sit here."  
  
"Oh, Jet! That's so reassuring that I'm not only sitting next to Satan and his fuck buddy!"  
  
"I suggest you shut your fucking mouth," Spooky Jim spat.  
  
Blurryface only groaned, burying his head into his desk.  
  
There was a chorus of murmuring at the small fight as people sat down. The teacher only rolled her eyes.  
  
"Blurryface, Spooky and Soul, please get out of my class. I'm not dealing with your cocky behavior today. Just leave."  
  
Blurry shot his head up and shrugged, gladly getting out of his seat and the classroom. Spooky followed behind, along with Soul.  
  
Once they were outside and down the hall a bit, Soul huffed, stomping off and giving the two boys the middle finger. Blurryface snorted, holding back laughter as Spooky turned to face him.  
  
"So, wanna skip?"  
  
Blurryface furrowed his eyebrows, "What the fuck? No? I'd get my ass beat, man. I don’t skip class."  
  
Spooky sighed, "C'mon, Blurry. This school sucks, I'm not staying here."  
  
"Why do you want me of all people there anyways?"  
  
"Why the fuck not, It's not like I can go drag anyone else out of class. Plus, their attendance system is broken. They can’t do anything if we skip. Just tell your mom the system glitched for like, half the school today."  
  
Blurryface smirked, "I see, I'm the second choice over everyone else."  
  
"No, not really," the redhead argued.  
  
"Okay then," Blurry said suddenly, holding his hands out, "where are we going, Spooks?"  
  
Spooky’s eyes widened slightly, caught by surprise at the nickname. "We're on nickname basis now?"  
  
"Shut up or I slit your throat."  
  
"Please do, I’d love to die," he joked. This was awkward. Come to think of it, most situations Spooky found himself in pertaining to Blurryface were awkward.  
  
"Me too," Blurry played along silently, opening the door that led outside. It wasn't the front, any student would know not to exit out of the front door, so Blurryface chose a door on a far-right hall where some old bathrooms that were plastered with sharpie and pencil sat. It was humid outside. Spooky looked over to see Blurry with a displeased look on his face. They walked side by side to Spooky’s car, Blurry figuring his siblings would drive themselves home.  
  
"So, we're going to the mall." The redhead flipped his keys in his hand.  
  
"Why the mall?" Blurry asked, red eyes in question as he frowned. The redhead only smiled, unlocking his car and hopping in the driver's seat.  
  
"Why not? I found a fifty lying on my coffee table. It's not like my family cares anyways. I'm already a disappointment," he shrugged.  
  
Blurry folded his arms. “Rich boy problems," he murmured. “I always forget you're rich."

"You probably forget a lot about me, Blur." Spooky’s voice was smooth, a sly smile accompanying it. Blurry felt weird.  
  
He rolled his eyes anyways. "Why that name?"  
  
"You shorten my name, I shorten yours." The answer was simple. Spooky looked back as he pulled out of the parking lot.  
  
This was going to be interesting, Blurry decided. He knew he was going to get into trouble for this, and he had a math quiz next period, but he truthfully didn't care. He was somewhat glad not to be at school. It would be strange, but definitely new.

* * *

The mall was empty for a Friday afternoon, the two boys fooling around in a clothing store meant for basic teenage girls. Blurry stood in front of a mirror, lost in the sight of himself as he stared. He had a small pimple on his cheek. It was gross.  
  
He was taken out of his trance when Spooky appeared behind him, throwing a beanie at his face.  
  
Blurry caught the beanie, startled. It wasn't hipster-looking or anything. It was an obnoxious red.  
  
"What the fuck, Spooky? This thing looks weird."  
  
"Try it on," Spooky Jim suggested.

“No.”

“Please?”  
  
Blurry scoffed, slipping the red beanie over his head and pulling it down so it covered his ears and most of his eyebrows. He turned his head a little, examining it. It looked odd just like he had said, but he didn't mind it in all honesty.   
  
Spooky was behind him, looking in the mirror at Blurry too. "It matches your Satan eyes," he joked.  
  
"I'm not the one with raccoon eyes there, Spooky."  
  
"Ouch. I wasn't even saying anything bad about your eyes. They're... pretty?" Spooky awkwardly said, voice flat at the end. Both mentally cringed at the gesture.  
  
"Don't use pretty in a sentence about me ever again," Blurry warmed him, turning around. Spooky laughed, and it scared the other.  
  
"Now I might just do it to get on your nerves."  
  
"Jokes on you, I'm actually buying this stupid thing," Blurryface took the beanie off, walking backward before turning to get to the register. The brown-eyed boy walked slowly behind him, right at his ankles.  
  
Spooky folded his arms. "Alright, go for it. It's a _ pretty _beanie."  
  
"You aren’t funny," Blurry started, picking up his pace.  
  
"Keep talking, _ pretty boy. _ It's only making things worse." Spooky Jim went after him, a smirk on his face as they ended up side by side.  
  
"Whoah there, slow down, now." Blurry raised his eyebrows, wishing that his cheeks weren't red right now. Spooky almost laughed. It only prompted him to talk more, nudging Blurry in the arm.  
  
"Anything for you, pretty b_— _"  
  
Blurry stopped, turning to slap Spooky across the cheek.  
  
It left a reddish mark on the other and Spooky's jaw dropped, hand gingerly touching the skin."Damn, that was a nice slap," the red-haired boy remarked.  
  
"Shut the fuck up, don't call me that again. Come on, you're paying for this fucking hat, asshole."  
  
Spooky Jim rolled his eyes, being dragged along to the checkout counter as a smile spread on Blurryface's pink-red lips. It was weird how easily he could put on a faux persona in public.  
  
"Did you find everything alright?" The cashier asked, smiling back just as infectiously. She stared at Blurry too long for comfort. She looked fake, like a Barbie doll. Platinum flat-ironed hair, impossibly light eyes and her shirt a little too low to be considered appropriate. Blurry elected to ignore her.  
  
"Yes, I did."  
  
The blonde leaned up against the counter. Blurry took a step back. “Do you go to East?”

“Mhm,” Blurry looked unimpressed.

“I think I’ve seen you around. Graduated last year, now I’m spending my time in college. I know you attend the parties that the students throw at your school, but the ones in college are so much better. Y’know, getting wasted and waking up with someone new every morning, all that. It’s fun. If you ever wanna go some time, I can getcha in.” she giggled. “You have a rewards card?” she asked, bagging the item.  
  
“Nope,” Blurry deadpanned, really weirded out. Why did this shit always happen to him? The fuck did he do?  
  
Spooky stepped in quickly, aggravated at the girl's attempts to get at Blurry, "Do you always try and get into people's pants like that?" He gave her a fake smile.  
  
The girl bit her lip. “Who said I wanted to do that?” she asked, giving the total after.  
  
Blurry scrunched his nose. "You know, if you want my opinion, that’s a pretty bad fuck. But then again, I prefer dick, so what do I know?”

Spooky choked on his spit.  
  
The cashier said nothing, taking the money and slipping the beanie into a mint bag. “Glad your friend stopped me then.” She smiled. “Have a lovely day."

  
Blurry grabbed the bag and turned around immediately. "And that's my cue to leave. C'mon Spooks! We have better places to be!"  
  
Spooky shot the girl one last death glare as they left.  
  
"So, dick huh?" Spooky asked the brunet once they were outside the store and had walked a nice distance away. Blurry looked at him, eyes flaming.  
  
"Do-don't say anything about that." Blurryface hissed.  
  
"I wouldn't do that, Blur, don't worry. True or not, that girl looked like she came from some pile of shit."  
  
"Why would she hit on me, though?" Blurry let out a laugh. "That was fucking horrifying, I swear to God this shit only happens to me.”  
  
"Because you're so _pretty_," a crooked smile settled on the brown-eyed boy's face as he gave a knowing look to Blurryface.  
  
Blurry hit the other with the mint-colored bag. "You better shut the fuck up. Let's go. I'm tired of this place, and school's out already."  
  
"Will do," Spooky replied. They walked some more in silence. "Oh yeah," he said, “that party is tomorrow.”  
  
"Ready to sit in a room and sulk for a good five hours?"  
  
"That's very funny," Spooky Jim sighed.

* * *

It was loud. The atmosphere was booming, and stupid teenagers were stranded all around drinking and smoking, many dancing and doing other things to overly loud and trashy music. This was Spooky's favorite environment, surprisingly, because he just liked to hate on people, but let loose at the same time. He wasn't at the center of it all though, he was actually sitting in a bedroom next to his friend as they ate Oreos on the nicely made bed covers. Spooky hadn't grabbed a drink yet, Blurryface was hesitant to let him because, at this point, he was paranoid about everything. (“_Someone could’ve spiked the beer_,” he had said. Spooky laughed hard.) How was Blurry supposed to know? He didn't know shit about parties. Plus, alcohol was dangerous and he'd seen Spooky drunk before, and even though it was hilarious seeing Spooky act like an excited child, he'd rather not right now.

  
Blurryface was laughing at something Spooky said, eyes a soft shade that was unlike the harsh hue they usually were. Spooky wondered what Blurry would look like high.  
  
The room was dark and the lights were off, minus some obnoxious lights outside, so they had little seeing ability, but their ears definitely heard the booming bass in the house around them. No one had disturbed them, the two boys were completely alone. They didn't know where Devotee or Hurricane were, Nicotine or Crimson, or Black Tear. Even Violent Cain for that matter. They doubted that the group even cared for their own whereabouts.  
  
"How much you wanna bet Nicotine, Devotee and Violent are getting high right now and going to have a threesome later?" Blurryface snickered in a low voice, a cookie in hand.  
  
Spooky's eyes widened, "I never thought about that, oh my God they _would,_ I hate you."  
  
"Damn, me too!"  
  
They had been here for about three hours now. They were upstairs in a guest bedroom, having to sneak up together to avoid people questioning them. They kept themselves entertained with conversation, their phones and food. However, they both knew their peace wouldn't last for long. This was about the time during parties where everyone's hormones went batshit crazy mixing in with the alcohol and drugs and whatnot.  
  
The two fell silent, Spooky Jim lolling his head back slightly. "What do we do if some drunk-ass pair tries to get in here and fuck?"  
  
"I dunno man, I suck at that kinda shit."  
  
"Eh, I'll think of something."  
  
They started up a conversation about music when Blurry eyed a keyboard in the corner of the room. Spooky saw the brunet looking and asked, which lead them to start talking about things like that. Turns out Spooky drummed in his spare time. "It's a stress reliever, like whatever you do, y'know?" he had said. "What do you do with the things you...y'know...write?"  
  
"I don't really know," Blurry shrugged. "I just let them go. Not original enough to make anything out of it. Sometimes I sing in the shower, though."  
  
Spooky smiled. "Interesting. Will I ever get to hear any of this?"  
  
Blurry shook his head. "Hell no. It's shit anyway, you wouldn't want to hear it."  
  
"I bet it isn't shit."  
  
"I bet it is."  
  
Spooky rolled his eyes.  
  
The two kept on eating, one of the only things on Blurryface's mind was the scare that Radio Rebel would be here. But she wouldn't mess with Spooky. Blurryface would kill her before she did. Protection, right? That was the entire reason they were there in a room, for Spooky's enjoyment and so that he wouldn't get hurt again.  
  
"It's dark in here," the redhead huffed, bringing Blurry out of his head. "I'm going to turn this lamp on."  
  
"That's fine." Blurry sat back onto the bed.  
  
A light came on, and he caught eyes with the other as he sat back on the bed with the brunet. Blurry had never had the chance to get a good look at Spooky since he first met him, really. His skin was pale, and the red around his eyes made it look like messy makeup, but it faded nicely. His lips were reminiscent of the color of bubblegum. Tonight he wasn't wearing a hat, but his curls fell in his face evenly, and his hair looked maintained. His face looked soft in the glow of the light, his eyes looked sharp as he looked back. Blurry tried to repress his thoughts, he wasn't supposed to think about this. He wasn't supposed to think about _this._

This was going to be so bad. Spooky looked right back at him.  
  
Blurryface looked at Spooky expectantly, clearing his throat. "Spooky—"  
  
He was cut off as Spooky shushed him. The air remained tense, and Blurry silenced to hear the sounds of two people probably trying to have sex with each other. There were a few knocks on the wall as well as a clamber at the door, and Blurryface tensed up. He couldn't face two people making out again. The door was definitely not locked.  
  
The red-haired boy caught this.  
  
"What do we do?" Blurry asked, voice low.  
  
Spooky Jim grabbed Blurryface's hand, turning his head to face him.  
  
Blurry scoffed. "Quick, we need to do something. They won't just go away if we yell, they might not hear it."  
  
"Do you trust me?" Spooky's voice matched the brunet's.  
  
"No."  
  
"Okay," he countered, "well you're going to have to for right now." There was more knocking, Blurry heard a curse and a moan. He cringed.  
  
Blurry's eyes widened. "If you don't hurry up and tell me what the fuck to do we're going to have front row seats to someone probably losing their virginity." He talked fast, Spooky nodded.  
  
"They won't come in if the room is occupied," Spooky muttered, sliding off the bed and standing up quickly. Blurry turned, standing up too.  
  
"_What_—?"  
  
"Wrap your legs around me."  
  
Appalled, Blurry almost let out a noise of protest before he heard another movement at the door handle and another curse. "Fuck this," he mumbled before he met Spooky and allowed himself to be picked up. His legs locked around the taller's waist.

This was going to be more than just so bad.  
  
"This might hurt," Spooky whispered before Blurry was being slammed into a wall with enough force that it made a loud sound.  
  
"Fuck!" Blurry moaned from the pain, back hurting as their bodies were pressed far too close for comfort. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”  
  
Spooky's breath was hot. "Trust me, okay? I’m gonna need you to do that again.”  
  
"I can't do this shit on command, do something," Blurry hissed.  
  
That was seemingly all it took for Spooky, who muttered a small "Okay," and with that, had his own lips on the opposing ashy neck in an instant.

_Oh._

  
Blurry’s entire body short-circuited. He gasped out of surprise, eyes closed as he tilted his head back. This was new. This was _ too _ new. Blurry didn't know what to do. Spooky laid rushed kisses along his neck, slowing down as he reached Blurry's jaw. The atmosphere was hot and heavy, Spooky's lips were wet and warm and it felt weird and highly sensitive and Blurry couldn't think straight _at all._ His breathing was increased and small noises were escaping involuntarily but it wasn't loud enough to be heard by anyone outside, just them. 

That was the worst part.  
  
"You're responsive as hell but you're gonna have to be louder than this," Spooky whispered against the brunet. Blurry didn't know whether or not to be offended or aroused. He wanted to slap the redhead.  
  
He chose to be offended, even if all of his blood was definitely not in the upper part of his body anymore.  
  
"Well then you're going to have to _ do something,_" Blurry replied, out of breath. His neck was tilted, body pressed against the other far too close. Spooky sighed, moving from Blurry's neck and adjusting the collar of his stretchy shirt down to the red-eyed's shoulder so he could get to his collarbone. Blurry visibly shuddered a little, making a quiet noise. His head was spinning in a thousand different directions.  
  
Blurryface had prominent, sharp collarbones, ashy black fading slowly into the rest of his skin tone . Spooky didn't waste a second, kissing the raised area. He could feel the other's breath hitch with another noise coming from his lips. The paler slowed before nipping on the skin above.  
  
This caused Blurry to actually moan, and it was loud and mid-pitched. He never realized how sensitive that area was. Or how it actually felt _good._ Or how he definitely should _ not _ be enjoying this, under zero fucking circumstances.  
  
He heard a voice outside, "Fuck, babe, I think someone's in there already."  
  
Spooky seemed to hear it too. "Moan again, Blur," he muttered.  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you I’m not a pornstar?" Blurry asked, breath far too heavy for his liking. Spooky didn't respond, only connecting his lips back onto the other's neck. But it was different this time, because this time Spooky had decided to press his hips further against the shorter's and yeah Blurry was going to loose his _ fucking mind._  
  
He moaned something incoherent, and it was very evident that Blurry had never done this before. It was almost humiliating, he was an absolute mess. But he didn't want to stop now, he didn't want this to end. It was new and intoxicating and something the brunet did not want to admit he enjoyed. He shouldn’t be enjoying it in the first place.  
  
It was pretty evident that he did, though.  
  
"There you go," Spooky hummed, it was almost like a coax. "They should be gone now."  
  
"Fuck," was all the other could manage out of his lips. It wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either.  
  
The taller then pulled away, lips still heavy and hovering above the blackened neck that opposed him. A soft whine emitted from the other at the loss of contact. Spooky’s heart skipped a beat. They moved their heads so they were facing each other, and Spooky could see Blurry's equally flushed face nice and clear. His eyes were wide, and blown and dark.  
  
"Your eyes are the color of fucking blood," he whispered.  
  
Blurry said nothing and only stared, as if he was waiting for something before he closed his eyes, tilting his head down as he caught his breath. His legs were tight around the redhead's waist, fingers gripped around his shoulder blades. He then came to realize how much of a stronghold Spooky had on him, the paler made it look effortless. He was strong.  
  
Blurryface wanted to laugh, he wanted to cry. He just kept panting, slowly regaining his breath. Spooky let him down then, and he opened his eyes as the other steadied him on the ground. His fingertips found their way to a spot above his collarbone. He pressed on it lightly.  
  
"That spot is gonna be red for a bit," Spooky said quietly. Blurry looked up to meet his eyes and nodded, silent. "Sorry."  
  
"It's fine," Blurryface said, even though it wasn't. "Nobody's gonna know it's there. Except you," he finished in a sigh.  
  
"Got it. Our secret?" Spooky bit his lip.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
There was a moment of silence. "You've never been kissed before, have you, Blur?" 

That fucking tease.  
  
"Nope."  
  
The red-eyed boy's face was tinged pink, Spooky gave him a small smirk. "C'mon, you look tired. You should sleep or something, we can wait out everyone else."  
  
The brunet didn't protest, only rubbing his face and allowing himself to climb into the Oreo-dusted bed. He rolled over, looking towards a wall as his black hands found the blankets to pull over himself. "Spooky, that...was fucking insane."  
  
"Yeah, yeah it was."  
  
Blurry couldn't come to a consensus. Did he regret that? Or enjoy it? He knew for one that his hormones probably went overboard, knowing he was sixteen and lacking any kind of sexual action. But the logical part of him wanted to fucking slap his brains out. That should have _ never _ happened. Not like this.  
  
But in reality, it all made sense if Blurryface thought about it. Of course he would do that with Spooky, who had his stupid nicknames and listened to things Blurry probably shouldn't tell him in the dead of the night. Of course it was Spooky, with his dumb looking face and horribly convincing charm. Of course it was Spooky, the _ only _ person Blurry could consider a close friend for the longest he'd remembered. The ashy boy didn't want to go any further, he hated the concept. But he wanted this ordeal finished. He almost felt wasted. This should mean absolutely nothing at all, but he was cold in this bed. Alone. And maybe he didn’t want to be alone right now.  
  
That thought was horrifying.  
  
He caught Spooky looking at him with something in his eyes, he couldn't pin it exactly, before he drifted to sleep with a few marks on his neck that he truthfully didn't mind.  
  
Yeah, they were both about to be in deep shit.

* * *

  
Spooky had no clue what the hell to do. Literally and figuratively.  
  
He didn't know what the fuck went through his head that told him to do that. None of it was a smart idea, he knew Blurry didn't like that stuff and he knew he shouldn't have done it. And he felt guilty. He felt so, _ so guilty._ But at the same time, Spooky knew that it would've been too awkward to sit there and make it sound like the room was taken rather than just letting it happen. However, in the back of his mind there was still the feeling that he had betrayed the brunet, and he didn't know why.  
  
Spooky couldn't push the fact out that he _ liked _ what happened. It wasn't his fault that Blurry was undeniably attractive. It wasn't his fault that somehow he ended up making one of the most pinned after boys in school and one that he personally used to specifically look at completely melt. (Okay, he took that back, that was entirely his fault). He couldn't deny the whole thing was hot, and maybe he got too into it, and maybe the sounds would be engraved in his brain forever, but that wasn't nearly as important as other things. It was the problem that it just wouldn't go away. God, he hated being a stupid horny teenager.  
  
There were worse things to be worried about, like how it would impact their relationship as friends, if Spooky could call it that. Blurry did once, so he went with that. And he didn’t want to lose that. He liked Blurry. A lot, actually. He didn’t know if he was willing to risk the boy’s trust for the sake of his hormones and tiny little repressed crush from last year.  
  
The redhead looked over at the shorter boy who was asleep in the bed next to him. They weren't close, Spooky kept his distance, and Blurry had covers over him while the other was just laying on top of the blankets, looking at his phone. The lamp was still on, and Spooky could see all of Blurry's facial features in the glow. It was funny how Blurryface always looked so sharp and intimidating, but when he was asleep it's like everything was softened by 500%. His eyes were closed, eyelashes fluttered over his skin. His cheeks were somehow still flush, it looked like he had blush on at this point. His lips were more red than pink, and they looked more plump as they parted slightly. Blurry's hands were curled up near his face, and his hair was unruly and curly. He looked delicate. Of course, it was close to this when he was awake too but his face then had that extra intimidating edge added to it. Now, he just looked...soft. It was cute, it suited his nice side.  
  
Spooky was probably gayer than he thought. It didn't surprise him though, Blurry was always the one Spooky came back to in thought whenever he thought of his sexuality. He assumed everyone else did too.  
  
The red-eyed boy was definitely gonna beat his ass again. 

Spooky groaned. Why couldn't Blurry just be normal and accept the fact that teenagers are hormonal and have a sex drive and it's not taboo to do stuff like that? He had talked about it a little before, about how he didn't understand why, that it was stupid, and that he held some kind of connection with that stuff. Spooky could respect that, Blurry definitely had better morals, but were they too strong?  
  
He wouldn't judge.  
  
**baby h**  
spookyyyyyyy  
  
**spooky christmas**  
yes  
  
**baby h**  
i wanna leave!!! crimson is tired and black wants to go too  
  
**spooky christmas**  
what about dev and nic and violent? we can't just leave them  
  
**baby h**  
ya we can lmaoo idk where the fuck they are  
i also don't know where blurry is hm maybe he finally got laid lmaooooooo  
  
**spooky christmas**  
he didn't, blurry's with me  
do you think we should look for the others or let menace deal w them  
  
**baby h**  
don't care just wanna leaveeed!!!  
  
**spooky christmas**  
what the fuck did you take dude  
cocaine??  
  
**baby h**  
nah not yet just... some weed idk... anyways i wanna leave come haul that bitch down here he's probably grumpy ugh  
  
**spooky christmas**  
he's asleep don't worry  
  
**baby h**  
NO DONT WAKE THAT BITCH UP  
CARRY HIM OR SOME SHIT!!!!!  
I AINT DEALING WITH TIRED COCKY BLURRYFACE THAT AINT HAPPENING  
  
**spooky christmas**  
calm down he's fine  
we'll be down in a sec  
  
It was 12 AM when Spooky got out of the bed to wake up the other. He rubbed the tanner's arm softly, and the boy awoke with a small yawn, still dead tired.  
  
"Hey, Blurry, the group is leaving," Spooky announced. Blurryface groaned. He had a little mark on his neck.  
  
"My back feels like shit."  
  
"Yeah, sorry about that," Spooky replied, biting his lip, "I'm driving by the way, so you can sit up front with me and sleep if you want."  
  
Blurryface shook his head, "No I probably won't sleep, I don't think I'll be able to go back honestly, but I'll take up that offer on shotgun." The red-eyed boy sat up and sluggishly got out of bed, rubbing his arm. He walked over and looked at himself in the mirror. "Shit, you can see one of the things on my neck," he said quietly. Spooky came up behind him.  
  
"Just leave it, nobody should notice, they're too hazed." They continued to stand there, Blurry running a hand through his hair. "You good?" Spooky asked, eyes glued on the other boy.  
  
Blurryface shuffled back, ducking his head. "Let's go." He looked a little unsteady from the sleep, so Spooky grabbed his hand firmly, steadying him. Blurry tensed up, but they left the room anyway and went into the now-smaller mass of people. They kept their heads low, not wanting to be seen by others, just in case.. Crimson, Hurricane and Black Tear stood outside in the trashed front yard.  
  
"Where are Devotee and Nicotine?" Blurry asked, still holding on to Spooky's hand. He was cut off by Black Tear, who was looking at the two with a suspicious look before answeing.  
  
"They...well we couldn't find them, so I guess they'll just wake up and have to deal with Menace in the morning."  
  
Blurry hummed before going silent. "I win," he whispered to the redhead, a smug grin on his face. Spooky shook his head and nudged the other.  
  
The group got in the car and headed off. The time read 12:08 AM as they drove in silence. Crimson was sleeping on Hurricane's shoulder, exhausted. Hurricane, obviously high off something, sat there, toying with the other girl's orange hair that she'd taken down.  
  
Spooky dropped the two tired girls off at Hurricane's place, leaving Black Tear the only one in the back as she kept her eyes on her phone. She gave him her address in a slur, and they arrived quicker than they thought. Black thanked them and ran inside to be greeted by a small child at the door, to whom she scolded for not being asleep. Spooky watched in wonder.  
  
"I think she's like their unofficial mom," Blurry said. "Their actual mom could be sick. Or dead."  
  
Spooky was a little frightened at how calmly Blurry said that, but then realized that Blurry's own actual mother wasn't present in the boy's life, so this was normal to him. He didn't say anything, continuing to look out the window.  
  
Black Tear waved bye tiredly, to which both Blurry and Spooky returned, and then they were off once again.  
  
Reaching Blurryface's house after ten minutes of silence and making sure Blurry himself hadn't fallen asleep, Spooky spoke up quietly.  
  
"So, I know you're tired, and you're probably going to uh, wanna talk about whatever the fuck happened tonight at some point or something. My parents won't be home tomorrow, so if you want to stop by and yell at me or some shit, you can. I won't be offended. I'm sorry, for...y'know..." his voice trailed off.  
  
"Spooky, I don't—I mean you're not wrong, I'll probably be pissed tomorrow, But don't y'know, be sorry I guess. Even if it was a bad plan and," he paused, scoffing at himself. "I don't know, I'm tired and rambling, so just forget about what I said for now. We're pulling up anyways." The brunet sighed, looking out the window as Spooky carpooled at the curb.  
  
"Okay, well, goodnight, Blur."  
  
"Goodnight, Spooky. Thanks for, um, thanks for taking me." Blurryface gave him a small grin, eyes shining against the street light. Smiles were new. Spooky was gonna die if he smiled again He opened the door and got out and closed it, tracing his hand along his neck in an almost reminiscent manner. The window was down, and they didn't break eye contact. Blurry blinked and started to walk off, slowly but surely as Spooky Jim replied.  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Spooky drove off, almost regretful. He guessed he would have a chance to explain himself tomorrow if Blurry showed. His life was full of regrets anyways, and he couldn't decide if tonight was one of them, so he left it up in the air.  
  
It was just a matter of Blurryface's stance now.

* * *

  
Spooky Jim's house was quiet, but that's what he got when he was all by himself in a giant house with his siblings out with their friends. He sat on his phone in the living room, looking at hair dye colors, as the red he was born with was getting old. He wanted to change it someday. That train of thought didn't last long. His entire day today had been spent by having flashes back to the previous night, back and forth between that and whatever he had currently been thinking about, and soon enough, sat on the couch, his head was traveling back to the previous night, back to that stupid party with stupid Blurryface. It was kinda funny how much of a mess the brunet was, but then the brown-eyed boy remembered that he had never really ever done that before. He closed his eyes, leaning back against the sofa.  
  
This was a bad idea.  
  
"Spooky, I'm going out. I'll see you later." Spooky's brother said.  
  
"Yeah, okay. Come back at a reasonable time please."  
  
"Can't guarantee that."  
  
Spooky Jim rolled his eyes.  
  
Opening the door, his brother left, and the brown-eyed boy was greeted with the quiet again. He continued scrolling through the dye selection, nothing catching his eyes. He eventually came across a yellow color that caught his eye, and he was about to click on it when his phone died. "Goddamnit!" he yelled. Maybe yellow just wasn’t going to be his color.  
  
Spooky only got more aggravated at the knocks on the front door, and he stood up to go open it. Did he order pizza? He couldn’t remember.  
  
He opened the white door, coming face to face with a pair of red eyes and dark hair staring straight at him.

Lovely.  
  
"Blurryface." Spooky was the world’s biggest headass.  
  
"Hello, you told me to come talk to you, here I am." Blurry spoke in a quiet tone, but his voice was clear as he stepped inside before Spooky. "You have a nice house by the way, it's spacious, don't think I've told you that yet," he mumbled.  
  
"Thanks," Spooky paused for a moment, "you can sit down if you want. I didn't know you were coming." Yeah, he wasn’t looking forward to this.  
  
Blurryface nodded, taking a seat on the nearby sofa in the living room. Spooky Jim followed, eyes on the brunet cautiously as he hoped he wouldn't get murdered. The marks were still there, contrasting against the ashy coloring on his neck. He too sat down, coming into eye contact with the red eyes. Blurry took a deep breath before he started talking.  
  
"Last...last night," hesitation, "you did that to me—you, even after _everything,_" Blurry flinched, "after everything that happened that one night...with...you know."  
  
Spooky nodded, "Yeah. What happened that one night was god awful, and I quite frankly want to pretend it never happened, especially after everything at school and the fact that now everyone thinks I'm a sob story or some shit. I just forget. Radio Rebel is a fucking _cunt._ I forget what she did, and how it happened. It wasn't anything huge if I say so myself, so I think it's a little easier for me to just get the fuck over it compared to someone who...you get what I'm saying. I don't want to press on it anymore, so I don't. It's over, and it's done."  
  
"So you just...packed up and moved on? What’d you do?" Blurry's voice was quiet.  
  
"I focused on you." Spooky covered his face as he groaned. "I'm sorry for that, I wasn't thinking. I had been—I was _ so_—and then I had you—and, fuck, I'm so screwed. I know you didn't want that, I know I shouldn't have done that."  
  
There was silence before Blurry spoke. "I don't think that I regret it."  
  
Spooky's eyes widened, "O-Oh?"  
  
"I mean, I'm upset, but I-I don't think I regret anything."  
  
"That doesn't make much sense."  
  
Blurryface eyed him. "I'm upset with you. And myself."  
  
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Spooky was now a little concerned as Blurryface ghosted his hand over his neck like he had last night.  
  
"No. Well, my back is sore, but no." Blurry explained, eyes still glued on the boy opposite of him.  
  
"What did I do, then?"  
  
"You wanna know what you did?" Blurry  
  
Spooky Jim stayed silent, Blurry leaning in slightly as his eyes darkened.  
  
"I have never, ever experienced intimacy. Ever.” Blurry started. “I’m terrified of it, really. But you know, I let it slide with you, just because we were being stupid or whatever. I knew it was a fucking awful idea for me to get into this shit but I did it anyway. I’m fucking terrified of this bullshit. I don’t just fuck around with people, and you should’ve gathered that by now. And you know, you had me pinned against a wall, a fucking embarrassing mess to your expense as you did all of that, and for a grave second, I thought you were going to drop what was going on and just take me. But you didn't, you didn't even touch me. I'm disappointed that you didn't make an attempt, and I'm disappointed in myself that I didn't just fucking beg." Blurryface hissed. "You had a good opportunity, a great one, and you didn't take it. And now...now I don’t know how to feel about anything because I don't know what the fuck is going on. I know you wanted..." Blurry stopped, closing his eyes. "I know you wanted to do more. People don't just...pretend to have sex."  
  
The redhead narrowed his eyes, almost laughing. "You have got to be fucking kidding. Here I am thinking that you were going to come over here and yell at me, slap me and tell me it was a mistake! Or how I'm stupid for doing that after the shit with Radio! Blurry, I feel like shit for doing that last night, I really do! But no! You come in here, sit on my sofa and tell me that you're fucking upset that I didn't _ get you off._ Do you know how many people in that shithole of a school would probably pay you to have sex with them? I see how people look at you and I see how they push it away because you’re _ you _ and you don’t do that shit. So when _ I _ had you, I didn't think you wanted that to be happening. And you're upset that I didn't give you what you wanted? How the fuck am I supposed to know? Like, what the fuck did you expect me to do? Go against your boundaries and fuck you senseless into that thin wall for everyone to hear? You played me yourself, Blurryface. I didn't think you wanted me to do that shit, and hell, you probably didn’t, but you just underestimated your pent up little hormones. You know, Blurry, I've been looking at you, and your pretty little eyes and neck, and your pink lips and sharp jawline, and I've honestly been wanting to do this for a pretty long time now, but you never seemed to return the feeling because I didn’t think you would. So don't be mad at me, be mad at yourself." Spooky's voice was low, tone filled with lust as he spoke.  
  
Blurry's breath hitched. "What the fuck am I supposed to do?" he replied, voice a merely offended mumble.  
  
"If you wanted this so damn much, why didn't you kiss me last night? I wouldn't have minded at all."  
  
Blurryface's eyes glimmered slightly, "The person on the bottom never kisses first, right? I mean, I assume that's what I am."  
  
There was a pause. Spooky was forgetting how to process shit. Blurry just glared back, so the redhead leaned forward, closing his eyes and kissing the brunet hard. Blurryface breathed in suddenly, surprised, letting Spooky take over. He didn't know what to do, so he just let his hands tighten to fists and eventually tried to kiss back with just as much force. It was fast, sudden and the brunette was releasing everything he had. Blurry's hands found their way to Spooky's hair, and he pulled at the curly locks slightly. Spooky broke the kiss. Blurry felt like he couldn't breathe, never mind what his head felt like.

“First kiss,” Spooky whispered. “How was it?”

“Weird...fucking weird.” His voice was a mutter.

“I’m gonna do it again,” Spooky told him.

'I don't know what to do."

"Relax." This time, he cupped the boy’s jaw before kissing him, slower this time. However, the whole “slow” aspect didn’t last long as expected and Blurry decided he liked being really grabby. He was being pressed against the side of the couch, five million voices in his head telling him to stop while his subconscious was chanting repetitive praise as he was kissed. If the world ended, he decided he wouldn't care. The taller trailed his affection down Blurry’s jaw and neck, pulling at the collar of the brunet’s shirt. Blurry gasped when Spooky hit his collarbone.  
  
"Fuck, you really like your collarbone," Spooky muttered, looking up at the brunet's state.  
  
"Oh, shut up—_s-shit!_"  
  
Spooky let a smirk cross his face after he grazed his teeth over the raised bone.  
  
Blurry reached for the other's shirt hem, tugging at it, the taller eventually letting him raise it over his head as he did the same. Both tees were discarded on the floor hastily. The brunet broke another kiss to stare at Spooky's chest. He never realized how much muscle the redhead actually had. Spooky was so much more attractive than he had remembered. Maybe it's because the redhead was kissing him and literally nipping his collarbone, who knows at this point?  
  
"It's called drumming, you should try it."  
  
"I'd rather sing."  
  
"Your pretty little singing voice might be destroyed if you moan too much," Spooky muttered.

  
Blurry’s cheeks burned red.

  
They kissed again, Blurry arching his back slightly to meet their hips this time, a shaky sigh coming from his red lips at the friction.  
  
"Fuck, we should go somewhere else if you want to do this," Spooky groaned.

“What are we doing now?”

“Well,” Spooky mumbled, “I’m gonna carry you up to my room, we’re gonna make out some more, and then I’m gonna get you the fuck off. Unless you have other plans.”

“No...th-that sounds...that sounds fine,” Blurry breathed. Spooky hummed.  
  
The two stopped for a second as they both sat up straight, Spooky rolling his eyes at Blurryface's whine of protest.  
  
"My god, you're needy as fuck. C'mon, hop up."  
  
Blurry wrapped his legs back around Spooky's waist, the brown-eyed boy hoisting the other up and smiling slightly.  
  
"Déjà-vu much?" Blurry asked as they made their way.  
  
"A little, want me to slam you into a wall again?" Spooky joked.  
  
"If you do that and kill my back again, I'm fucking leaving."  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
"Watch me," Blurryface hissed. There was a moment of eye contact before Spooky made it up and shut the door with his ankle  
  
The redhead laid Blurry down on the bed, crawling on top of him as they kissed again. Blurry froze slightly when he felt the other boy’s tongue. “Relax,” the paler said. Blurry shivered, slowly starting to mimic the brown-eyed’s actions in their kisses. Spooky's hands traveled down Blurry's torso as he kissed and marked at the shorter boy's chest, receiving small noises in return. He reached the brunette's lower abdomen eventually, looking back up at Blurryface, who had his head back against the pillows on the neatly made bed.  
  
"Can I take these off?" Spooky's tone was still dark, but it had a soft edge to it. Blurry nodded.  
  
"Yes, _ please_."  
  
"Okay. Give me a safe word alright? Just in case"  
  
"Anathema," Blurry whispered, eyes still closed and breath still staggered.  
  
"Have you rehearsed that?"  
  
"Shut up, I love that word.”  
  
Spooky resumed his actions, unbuttoning and zipping Blurry's black skinny jeans, which revealed a large wet bulge in his underwear. Blurry moaned at the touch, the redhead peeling the jeans down his legs as the brunette helped slightly. He traced his fingers along the tanner's body, kissing at the brunet's stomach. Blurry felt like melting, mind a bunch of static white noise and a hyper fixation on every part of Spooky that was touching his body. The weird part was that he was having no contradictory thoughts right now. He was just alive and being enveloped in the feeling of intimacy.  
  
"Can I remove this too?"  
  
"P-please do," Blurry stuttered.  
  
Spooky toyed with the hem of the black boxers as he slid them down slightly, Blurry sighed shakily in anticipation as Spooky took the sight in.  
  
"Your dick is really fucking impressive for a twink."  
  
"You bet your ass it is," Blurry groaned. "Don't touch it yet, that's unfair if you don't strip too."  
  
"God, you're demanding."  
  
"Not really, now kiss me again."  
  
Spooky only hummed as their lips met once more. this time a little sloppier as the redhead's hands roamed the shorter boy's chest. Blurryface, needy for something tangible against his bare skin, met himself once more against the other's crotch, panting slightly into the kiss. Knowingly, he broke the kiss to meet Spooky's dark eyes.  
  
"Are you okay if I- ah- are you okay with taking your pants off and e-everything?"  
  
"Fuck, yes, God," the brown-eyed boy spat out quietly in response.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Fuck, Blurry, just remove them already."  
  
"Use the word okay?" Blurry muttered as he waited for a response, knowing full and well that this could be dangerous territory. Hell, who was he kidding? Every part of the situation he was in right now was dangerous. Oh well…?  
  
"Will do, now fuck, get these off."  
  
Blurryface smirked slightly, reaching to pop the button and unzip the obvious tent in the black jeans. "Someone got excited."  
  
"Have you ever looked yourself in the mirror?"  
  
"I hate you."  
  
Spooky sighed, sitting slightly to pull his jeans down. "That's not what you'll be saying in about two minutes," he teased.  
  
Blurryface only groaned, rolling the jeans off of the redhead's ankles and meeting his eyes to Spooky's boxers. This was strange. "Okay."  
  
"Now,” Spooky said, pushing Blurry back down into the pillows, “It’s easier if we lay down and do this.” He got himself situated next to the brunet so that they were laying on their sides, facing each other. Spooky met the other’s lips, kissing him slowly before nudging his thigh in between Blurry’s legs. The brunet let out a mix between a gasp and a moan, eyes closed. The taller slipped a hand over the red-eyed boy’s lower, tentatively testing the waters. The brunet whimpered, bucking his hips, shaking. Spooky realized that this was Blurry’s first time doing any of this stuff, and while that statement was also applicable to Spooky, the difference was that Spooky had a pretty good idea of what to do. He guessed Blurry had never watched any kind of porn or anything, and so this was all very, _very_ new to him. Spooky had to be careful with this, at least until Blurry was comfortable. But that led to a slew of other questions, so Spooky settled his free hand on Blurry’s back and shifted closer so that the shorter could duck his head into the other’s chest, breathing still heavy. “I’ve got you, pretty boy.”

* * *

The bed was warm, it was 2 PM and Blurryface lied silently.  
  
Blurryface lied silently against another person, which was something he never thought he'd experience. Het knew that Spooky was awake; Spooky was awake and staring into his hair, spooned against him.  
  
Blurry shifted his body so he was better adjusted to roll over to face the redhead. Spooky sighed quietly, unwrapping his arms and letting Blurryface turn.  
  
"Hello," Spooky Jim whispered.  
  
Blurryface blinked. “Hi,’ he whispered back. He curled himself closer to Spooky.  
  
"Are you hungry or something?" Spooky offered, looking down at the cuddly boy. This was _ definitely _ new.  
  
"No, I wanna stay here. You’re warm."  
  
"What happened to the arrogant, cocky, mysterious Blurryface that was here earlier and what did you do to him?" the brown-eyed boy asked in a playfully threatening tone.  
  
"He packed up and left once you started getting all soft, Mister _ We’re-gonna-start-out-slow-so-you-do n’t-get-too-overwhelmed,_" Blurry replied mockingly.  
  
"You know I couldn't live with like, accidentally hurting you," Spooky sighed.  
  
Blurry shook his head, "You're weird."  
  
"Blur, you're fucking snuggled into my chest and your voice is all light. You are the weird one."  
  
The brunet hummed, "I don't know what you're fucking talking about."  
  
"At least you look pretty right now," the redhead reasoned. Blurryface responded, promptly blushing and shoving the other in the arm.  
  
The two continued to lay there cuddled up against each other as if they were completely oblivious to the world around them. They were both vulnerable to each other, clinging together in a way that had Blurry experiencing five different existential crises and Spooky apprehensive and cautious about every breath he took. Both of the boys knew what they had started, and it was scary and risky and probably really bad, and they didn't know how they were going to dig themselves out of it, but they were there together in that moment and that was their only care. They stayed silent. If anything, they were happy about the outcome of this particular argument.

Spooky never thought he’d be in this position. Right now, every single little detail that 16-year-old Spooky had picked out of Blurryface was coming back, and he couldn’t help but think about how maybe all of that stupid shit he thought about last year (plus the weird crush) paid off. He just hoped Blurry himself was okay.  
  
"Do you wanna order pizza or something?" Spooky asked softly.  
  
"Hell yes."

* * *

  
  
Blurryface's alarm was too loud for his taste, blaring him awake and out of his bed Monday morning.  
  
Saturday, he had left Spooky's house before dinner. They kissed once more before he left, and then he got home. He didn't dare tell his family anything, not even Caroline. He would eventually tell her, but Blurry was too caught up in the new feeling his brain had unlocked the doors of to do anything. He'd never been kissed, never had sex, never done anything except go to shitty parties. This whole ordeal left him wondering where his life was going to go. It happened so quickly, and it felt like a piece had been added to his broken body, but then another part of it had been chipped.  
  
He and Spooky hadn't talked any at all.  
  
He stood in front of his bathroom mirror, a towel around his waist. He traced his eyes down his body. There were a few love bites that trailed from his neck all the way to his lower stomach. Blurryface looked as if he had gotten beat, but no, it was just someone's fucking mouth. Teenagers were hornier than he thought they would be.  
  
His red eyes were bright with fear, and when he pulled a shirt over his head, the brunet realized that the spots on his neck were also completely visible. He officially hated Spooky Jim again for .5 seconds. He couldn't do anything about it. He wasn’t Nicotine, it wasn’t like he could just walk into school with a dumb scarf on to cover everything (on a second note, the thought of Nicotine using his scarves for the same hypothetical reasons Blurry would made the red-eyed boy gag), and there was only one option left that he could thiink of.  
  
Caroline was in her bathroom, getting ready for work as Blurryface peeked his head around the door. So much for not telling her.  
  
He cleared his throat. "Caroline?"  
  
The blonde turned her head, surprised at the boy’s presence. "Oh! Blurry, everything okay?"  
  
No, Blurryface thought. "Do you have any black eyeshadow?"  
  
Caroline looked ever so slightly confused, nodding slowly, "Yeah, I do. Why? Do you want me to put some on you or something?”  
  
"Yeah, but like not to my eyes, to my uh...neck. Well—" He stopped himself. Blurryface was in for it now. Caroline didn’t bother answering and instead went straight to digging around in a spacious drawer, taking a golden palette and opening it.  
  
"What'd you get into?" the blonde asked, stepping towards the boy. The brunet gulped, averting his eyes.  
  
"I, uh," he paused, craning his head, "well—" His face was bright red  
  
Caroline took a closer look, sighing, "You've either gone full-on idiot and hooked up with someone or you've actually developed a relationship and just didn't tell me and God I hope it's the latter."  
  
"Me and Spooky...we uh..."  
  
"Okay, so it is the latter." Caroline sat Blurryface down in a chair as she knelt and applied the concealing shadow. "Do you trust him?"  
  
Blurry nodded hesitantly.  
  
"Was it consensual?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Does Spooky trust _ you_?"  
  
"I hope he does," Blurryface admitted quietly. Caroline smiled. Blurry blinked, realizing it probably wasn’t normal to have your stepmother cover a hickey for you before school.  
  
"I’m sure he does. I'm proud of you, B. It's nice to know you've somewhat opened up to someone. I won't press on it anymore." The blonde continued her work, stepping back once she was done. "Okay, your neck is covered. You don't have gym do you?"  
  
"No, ma'am."  
  
"Alright, I guess you're good," Caroline said. "Hold on, let me get setting spray."  
  
Blurry was confused, watching as his stepmother dig around more and pulled out a spray bottle. She applied it to his neck, it was chilly. "That's just so it doesn't come off."  
  
The red-eyed boy started to walk off, stopped as Caroline called him once more.  
  
"Yes?" he asked, annoyed.  
  
"Thank you for telling me."  
  
Blurryface nodded once more, eyes lightening as he left to tend to himself.

* * *

"That party was one of the best I've ever been to," Devotee announced to the table, sitting down and crossing his legs. Violent was across from him, scrolling on his phone. Nicotine nodded in agreement, while Black Tear scoffed in annoyance.  
  
"That's only because you and your two boy toys had a threesome or some shit. Don't even act like you didn't."

”I swear, Dev, your only fucking personality trait is talking about parties,” Spooky replied.  
  
Blurryface smirked, flicking his eyes over to the redhead next to him. "I told you, I win," he muttered.  
  
Spooky Jim sighed, rolling his eyes.  
  
"So, what happened over the weekend for you all?" Cursed Crimson asked, her hair a fresh blonde color today. Apparently it was temporary. Blurry gulped  
  
"I did all of my missing homework," Hurricane replied.  
  
Violent Cain hummed, not responding.  
  
"I hung out with D, nothing too much," Nicotine picked at an apple.  
  
"What about you two? You've been silent this entire time," Crimson Curse called out to the two silent boys down the table.  
  
Black Tear eyed them from across, eyes suspicious.

”We’ve been talking ever since Devotee sat down...?” Spooky said.  
  
Blurry looked over to her, eyeing her just as forcefully. "Why do you guys care?"  
  
"I slept a lot and ordered pizza." Spooky deadpanned.  
  
"Dunno, it's just interesting since I only ever see you shits here or drunk off your asses at parties. So, Blurry, what happened for you?" Crimson repeated.  
  
"Nothing, really," he shrugged before smiling. “I got laid. Not that you morons care.”  
  
Spooky's eyes widened, and he laughed.  
  
Black Tear choked, facepalming as she looked between the brunet and the redhead.  
  
Hurricane's eyes were wide with Devotee's. "Who?!" they asked in unison. Blurry looked up, pretending to think.  
  
"Don't remember," the brunet said, biting his lip. He could hear Spooky choke on air. He cast a quick glance at the dark eyed boy next to him, who was staring intently at Blurry, hand curled and resting on his lips.  
  
"You're serious," Crimson told him, mouth open.  
  
"Dead." Blurryface smiled at her. Black Tear groaned. 

“No fucking way, edgy-ass Blurryface finally grew a pair and got laid!” Crimson laughed.  
  
Nicotine stood up, "Congrats Blurry. I'm gonna head to the library, wanna come with, Dev?" he said in a small voice. Devotee nodded, standing up and following the small boy out of the lunchroom.  
  
"Was it a guy or a girl?" Hurricane asked.  
  
"Does it matter?" Blurryface quieted his voice.  
  
"Obviously," Hurricane responded as if it was common sense.  
  
Blurryface waved it off, "It really doesn't. I'm leaving, I have to turn in a paper for Algebra."  
  
And with that, the boy up and left, casting a small grin to Spooky on the way out, who shook his head slowly as a response.  
  
"Fucker," Black Tear mouthed to him.  
  
"You know it," Blurryface smiled as he responded audibly.  
  
Spooky looked pissed. Blurry giggled to himself as he walked out. Sure, he was in a terrifying situation, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun with it.

* * *

**spooks**  
the storage closet behind the theatre is empty  
meet me there

  
**blur** **  
**what the fuck are you pulling  
okay  
  
Blurryface sighed slightly to himself, lying to the teacher as he said he needed to use the restroom. The theatre wasn't far from the classroom he was in, and he knew why Spooky wanted him there. He pissed the boy off, he knew it good and well. That, and he walked off from all further conversation. Yes, Blurryface was an asshole.  
  
The auditorium was dormant, Blurry making his way to the left wing and down a small hallway outside of the girl's dressing room. He was able to get in the theatre through the back door. Spooky must’ve known there wasn’t a class. The storage closet was huge, and every year there was at least one couple who was infamously known to have sex in said closet. Blurryface hoped that he was not going to fall victim to that at any point in time.  
  
He opened the door, making quick eye contact with the dark brown-eyed boy standing against the wall, closing it behind him with another sigh.  
  
"So, you got laid, huh?" Spooky asked, tone down.  
  
Blurry smirked, turning around to face the redhead and come closer. "Yeah, I did."  
  
"But you don't remember who?"  
  
"Not a trace, sorry." Blurry's eyes flickered playfully.  
  
"Were they any good?" Spooky now held Blurryface's chin up to his, eyes squinted slightly.  
  
"I don’t know, it was kinda shit," The red-eyed boy replied, before closing the gap between the two with a slow-paced kiss. 

After a bit, the Blurry ended up sitting on an empty paint-stained table, black hands in bright red curls as the other stood between his legs.  
  
"What is it with you and carrying me?" Blurry asked once they pulled apart.  
  
"Don't know, maybe I just like your ass."  
  
"Oh, fuck off," Blurryface groaned. Spooky smirked, satisfactory before he caught glance of the brunet's neck.  
  
"You covered your neck," the redhead said in observation. Blurry nodded.  
  
"Couldn't expose myself to the world, now could I?" Blurry whispered.  
  
"Of course not, but apparently you can tell everyone that you got laid, hm?"  
  
"Yes, yes I can." Blurry replied. "Keeping you out of it though, don't wanna get you in trouble."  
  
Spooky hummed. "Reasonable. Still sad you covered that pretty neck you have."  
  
The shorter rolled his eyes. "I don't recall my neck being pretty."  
  
"What?" Spooky smiled teasingly. "I like complimenting you."  
  
"You've made that very obvious," the brunet mumbled.  
  
"Yeah, because you really enjoy being complimented." They kissed more, this time with more force as the redhead held his hands on the smaller boy's waist. Blurryface had to admit, Spooky was good at kissing. Then again, he never thought he would come to that conclusion...like...ever, but there was too little time to deny anything now. And Spooky had also kissed other people before.  
  
"So, how many other girls have you taken in here to make out with?" Blurry asked after a while, almost out of breath and lips red.  
  
Spooky shrugged slightly, "Zero," he said. "I also didn't invite any of them over to do anything else, either. I kept that stuff in the bathroom."  
  
"I remember those times," the red-eyed boy said.  
  
"Yeah, you called me disgusting."  
  
"Still not taking that back." The thought of the boy with other people left Blurryface unsettled. He huffed. Spooky caught onto this quickly, smirking profoundly.  
  
"Are you jealous, Blurryface?"  
  
"No," he lied.  
  
"Don't worry pretty boy, you are by far the best person I’ve been with. Also definitely the hottest. I definitely like guys better." the taller reassured him. Blurryface's heart sped, and he bit his lip. He knew he wasn't that attractive, but he wasn't going to say anything.  
  
Instead, he hummed and replied with a "Whatever you say."  
  
Spooky sighed, placing a delicate kiss on Blurry's neck, breathing softly against it. "How many times am I going to have to tell you how attractive you are for you to believe it?" he muttered.  
  
"Do I have a choice?" Blurryface asked, closing his eyes.  
  
"Not really, just because I know you enjoy it." The redhead kissed him on the lips this time, Blurryface melted into the kiss, clasping his hands onto the brown-eyed boy's broad shoulders for support. They’d only done this one other time but Blurry was already sure he’d probably never get sick of this feeling. Or maybe that was his hormones talking.  
  
They continued on like that, the taller boy breaking away for small moments to whisper small things, some of which made the brunet's heart speed at a disturbing pace, far too fast for his own liking  
  
Minutes passed, and the pair were still absorbed in each other's presence. They eventually came to a halt when Blurryface realized he'd been absent from for a good bit now. He was already probably on the edge with Caroline, but the attendance system was back up and a phone call that he'd been skipping would really screw him over. He wasn't even being smart or considerate to begin with.  
  
"Spooks, we gotta go," Blurryface exhaled, head craned to the side.  
  
"Yeah, yeah we should," he looked into Blurry's eyes, color of garnets in the dimly lit closet.  
  
The brunet slid off the table with a thud, body pressed against the other's. They were silent, breathing and staring at each other. Blurry's lips were saturated and plump, Spooky's not much far off. Moments of pure silence between the two passed more time. Blurryface, frustrated with himself and the quiet, pulled the redhead down for one last kiss before he left. Spooky took a surprised breath at the gesture, hands in brown hair for a second before Blurry broke off.  
  
"Would you be upset if I showed up at your door tonight?" Spooky whispered.  
  
"You're jumping right into this, aren't you? Maybe, maybe not," Blurryface replied lowly, glancing once more at the other boy before walking past him and leaving the small space.  
  
Spooky stepped back into the table, bearing himself against it as he ran a hand through his hair. "Holy fuck."

* * *

  
Spooky was silent as he walked down the crowded hallway. There were clumps of people everywhere, the redhead squeezing through groups until he made his way to his locker. He never used his locker, but he had left an essay in there last week and he needed to finish it.  
  
He looked down at his phone, which had his combination on it. Twisting the lock, he reached the last number before he received a tap on the shoulder. He ignored it, scoffing slightly and opening the lock. Another tap. He opened the locker only for it to be slammed in his face. Angry, the brown-eyed boy turned around slowly.  
  
"What the fuck do you want?" he muttered.  
  
Black Tear stood there, eyes mad and slanted. "Come with me, right now."  
  
"Why? I have a fucking essay—"  
  
"Nobody gives a shit about your issues, Spooky. Come with me right fucking now." The blonde, who had her blue tips restored, grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him through the hallway, much to him trying to pull away.  
  
"Can you not fucking drag me?" Spooky asked.  
  
"You won't follow me if I don't," Black muttered.  
  
"I said don't drag me!" the tall boy replied, yanking his arm away and looking at it. It was red. He closed his eyes. "I can't do that."  
  
The girl sighed, "Sorry. I’m sorry. Just get your ass in here," she told him, leading the boy into an empty lab.  
  
"What the hell, Black?" Spooky was on the edge of being enraged, eyes seemingly on fire.  
  
"I should be asking you the same question." she hissed. There was silence. "Why did you have sex with him?"  
  
"Excuse me?!"  
  
"I said, why did you have sex with him?"  
  
"Don't _ even— _ "  
  
"Answer me!" she demanded.  
  
"He played it out to be more than it actually was, we didn't have sex. He said that to amuse everyone else, and you know it. He did it to shut them up because they never leave him alone. But even if we did, I don't know, maybe it'd be because I like him?" Spooky stressed sarcastically. "Why are you so upset? What we do in private doesn’t concern you at fucking all."  
  
"I'm upset because after you made a giant ass deal out of your assault episode, you're now fucking around with Blurryface out of all people." the blue-eyed girl replied.  
  
"What does _that_ have to do with anything? Radio was the one to make it a big deal, not me."  
  
"You were assaulted, you asshole! And then you just have sex what, weeks later? Why would you do that?"  
  
"Listen, you cant say anything, you bitch," Spooky Jim lowered his voice, "You were drunk off your ass that night. The only sober ones were me and Blurry. You may have been able to get some photos and a video but you still have no idea what happened. I've been able to forget all the shit that happened, so shut the fuck up. People cope with shit differently, and mine happened to go fast and I was able to fucking let go of it."  
  
Black Tear huffed, "I saved your ass after it happened though and both you and your boyfriend know that."  
  
"Whoa, back up, he's not my boy—"  
  
"Shut up. Like I said, I fucking saved your ass. If it wasn't for me, you would probably be in hell right now."  
  
"Okay, I get it, but what the hell are you trying to say? I don't have all goddamn day," Spooky gritted his teeth.  
  
"What I'm trying to say is nobody can know about you and Blurryface. If people see that you're fucking him even after that stupid party, everyone is going to think the whole thing was a fake for attention or some shit. I know I haven't been here for long, but it's easy to see Blurry is notorious for being a pretentious fucking asshole who doesn't hook up with people. So this looks fucking strange. And if you want to stay out of drama, I suggest you both shut your asses up."  
  
"I never intended for anyone to know in the first place, so you can fuck off."  
  
"Don't tell me to fuck off, moron. You should be thanking me. This isn't my first time dealing with shit."  
  
"Can I leave?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm done. If you decide to let the whole world know about you and Blurry, it's your fault. I'm warning you now." And with that, the upset blonde left abruptly, pushing part Spooky with a sigh. She stopped at the door frame. "And Spooky?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"This means no fucking in the theatre closet. I saw you two in the hall."  
  
"We didn't even—"  
  
"Save it."

* * *

Blurryface groaned to himself, his laptop resting on his lap as he completed a lab write up which hadn't been touched in the past five minutes. Reaching for the blue ballpoint pen next to him, the boy uncapped it and started writing in a messy scribble onto his forearm. His mind didn't register what he was writing exactly, and once he was done, he put down the pen and continued typing.  
  
He wasn't getting anywhere with his homework.  
  
The brunet removed his old Macbook from his lap and stood, crouching down soon after to pick up the mess of paper and other piles of useless trash that was on his floor.  
  
Mounds of words and phrases piled up, and he arranged them into a messy stack, bringing the papers over to his messy desk and laying them on top of a bunch of school things.  
  
He sighed, leaning back on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He checked the time, it was 8:14 PM.  
  
In the distance he saw his computer screen go black, signaling that it either died or was just asleep. He could finish his lab write up tomorrow.  
  
The room was a disaster still. He would clean it, but Blurry didn't mind it being messy. He was in a sense organized, even if he left his shit everywhere. It's not like anyone ever came into his room anyways.  
  
There was shuffling outside his door, and the red-eyed boy heard his sister yelling as she made her way down the stairs about the door or something. He then heard Caroline's faint voice.  
  
"_Blurryface_!" his sister, Gold, yelled.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Get down here!"  
  
Blurry moaned slightly, dragging himself out of bed, stumbling on the corner of his dresser on the way out of his room. He made his way down the stairs quickly, stopping at the last step to look at the door.  
  
Caroline was making small talk quietly, Gold eventually walking away to the kitchen. It was weird for Blurry to see her this often, she was usually always out of the house.  
  
Blurry made his way to the front door, Caroline looking at him and back to the guest. The blonde closed the door.  
  
Blurryface gave a small wave to Spooky, looking at his stepmother expectantly.  
  
"We'll be upstairs I guess," Blurry murmured.  
  
"Okay, just try and be quiet. Your father is asleep and I'm about to head off too and I really don't want to be disturbed." She looked over to the redhead, "And Spooky, please make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Spooky nodded. "If I hear you two I won't hesitate to kick you two outside. I need sleep," she laughed it off. Blurry knew she would probably actually kick them outside.  
  
"We'll be quiet, Caroline."  
  
"Thank you, now I'm gonna head off. If Spooky doesn't stay the night try not to make too much noise if you leave, okay?"  
  
Both of the boys nodded, Blurryface slowly grabbing the taller boy's hand and leading him upstairs, Gold staring at the two from the kitchen.  
  
Once the door was shut, Spooky let go of Blurry's hand and took a seat at the brunet's desk.  
  
"So are you just going to start showing up out of nowhere, now?" Blurry asked, taken back.  
  
"Well for the record," Spooky started, "I asked you if I could earlier today."  
  
"Well, I didn't know if you were actually going to follow through! And you could've sent me a text." Blurry sassed back.  
  
"But there's no fun in that, is there?" the redhead smirked, receiving a groan from the boy across from him.  
  
"You better be glad Caroline didn't kick you the fuck out, Spooks."  
  
"Oh, I definitely am. She seemed different today," Spooky Jim noted, eyeing Blurry as the brunet sat down at the foot of his bed.  
  
"Probably because she knows what happened," Blurryface mumbled, stained hands resting on his knees.  
  
"How did that happen?" Spooky asked.  
  
"Well I don't just have black eyeshadow laying around, now do I?" Blurryface replied back, "I needed her to cover up what you did."  
  
"Honestly Blur, I wouldn't be surprised if you actually did own eyeshadow. If you do, you can always tell me," Spooky teased him.  
  
"Oh, fuck you!" the red-eyed boy spat, throwing a pen at his face. Spooky blocked it with his hands.  
  
"You know, you probably shouldn't say that to me."  
  
Blurryface shot him a death glare.  
  
"Because—"  
  
"I swear to fucking God if you say _anything,_" Blurry warned him.  
  
"—we all know that you out of all people would—"  
  
"Oh my God," Blurryface groaned, covering his now pink face with his hands.  
  
"—never stick _ your _ dick into _ my _ ass."  
  
"Okay I get it, I chose the wrong words, now can you actually stop?"  
  
Spooky laughed, "It was worth it, you got all red."  
  
"I really don't know why I'm in this situation right now," Blurryface said, sounding hopeless.  
  
"I don't know either, but I like it," the redhead reassured him, voice fading off as his eyes trailed to the stack of papers. "I'm assuming this is what was previously on your floor for a good however many months?"  
  
Blurryface looked up across from him to the other, nodding. "Yeah, but don't mess with that."  
  
"Can I look at them?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Can I ask what they are?"  
  
"It's just a bunch of fucking trash, Spooky."  
  
"From what I've seen, I don't think a bunch of poetic phrases or whatever are trash." Spooky reasoned, looking up at Blurry's rather worried face.  
  
"Well, you're not seeing anything else." Blurryface grumbled.  
  
Spooky rolled his eyes, sighing as he stood up to sit next to Blurryface. "Y'know, I've seen what you write on your skin sometimes. It's not like those would be any different right? They're not trash, at the least." He got up to the side of the bed, sitting and swinging his legs around so that he was seated on the bed entirely. He watched as Blurryface shifted ever so slightly.  
  
"I just...don’t want people seeing them," Blurry explained silently, head bowed towards his feet.  
  
"Why not?”  
  
The pair of harsh red eyes met Spooky's gaze, squinted ever so slightly. "Because I'm really fucked up. Not because they're about anyone, not because I don't want to admit that I write, but because my brain is weird and I’m practically insane. And I know, _ I know _ people would never ever want to be around insane people, because they're fucking psychotic. And that's exactly what I am, and it just happens that I really give a shit about how I come off to others. I can’t be close to people for the mere fact that they'll find out even more about who I am and then they might just fuck me over for the hell of it or they won’t understand why I can’t just be normal about certain shit. 

“That night at Devotee's, when I found you basically unresponsive and frozen in a bed with that stupid girl that I know you fucking hate, I knew I was going to have to do something. I couldn't just let you— I couldn't let that stuff happen to you. So shit went down, and then it eventually ended up with me fucking up and telling you shit that I haven’t talked about since it happened. Private shit that I shouldn’t be telling anyone.. And then I realized that I could never take back what I said, and I realized that you actually gave two shits about me when you asked me if I was okay. And now, after all that time, after me realizing I'm so scared to become attached to people, _ this _ entire ordeal is happening and I have no fucking idea what to do because I'm so scared. I'm scared of what you think, and what others will think and what Caroline will think and what _ I _ think. And I have no idea how to rationalize it."  
  
Blurryface inhaled then, a long breath coming through his nose and out through his pinked lips as he stared straight at Spooky. There was a long pause of silence. "If we're going to do _this_," he gestured to the two of them, "you're going to have to know that. I'm sorry I sprang all that on you."  
  
He's going to leave, Blurry thought.  
  
He had screwed it up.  
  
Too fragile.  
  
"I—" Spooky started, and Blurryface gulped, eyes a fiery red with alarm.  
  
"I would never think any less of you than I would if you were 'normal', Blurryface. I know you're ‘crazy’. You're cocky and an asshole to just about everyone and everything. But that's who you are from your appearance, or from your personality that you have towards other people. I could care less about what kind of person you come off as, or how you overthink things or have trouble coming to terms with people. What I care about, I care about the fact that you're here and breathing, and I care about the fact that you're trying to accept me into your life as best you can without basically killing yourself mentally. I will probably never have any fucking clue what it must feel like to be yourself, Blurry, but just know that I'll try and be here as much as I can. Because even if you don't care about me as much, I care about you, and I know you need caring."  
  
A large block of silence came over the two, the only things heard were the exchanging of breaths as the two boys stared at each other intensely, contrasting the soft reassurance that Spooky had just finished with.  
  
The taller boy was just about to ask if the brunet was okay before Blurryface cursed under his breath and suddenly met his lips with those of the other boy's, intense and unexpected. It caused the redhead to falter back a little, quickly regaining his posture as he kissed back, grasping Blurry's hips at an attempt to keep the smaller boy up as well.  
  
Blurry ended up forcing the other down so that he was laying on his back, and the red-eyed boy moved his leg over the taller's body so that he was straddling Spooky, the two still kissing feverishly. 

He liked this newfound power of using affection in place of words.

Spooky decided that he really enjoyed kissing Blurry. The brunet tasted like strong mint.  
  
Eventually, the make-out subsided, and the brunet was curled up into Spooky's front side, head buried into his chest and eyes peacefully closed as he drifted off to sleep. The redhead had yet to fall asleep, so he took comfort in admiring the other boy's sharp features and the contrast between his jaw and his neck. His eyes traced the various pen inkings on Blurryface's arm, the most prominent and fresh looking one standing out on his forearm. It read “trust me.” It allowed him to think about the situation he was in, and how important and fragile it was as well. He thought about what Blurry said, and how upset with himself he sounded. Spooky didn’t quite know what caused Blurry to be like this, but he assumed it was bad if Spooky out of all people was the one to be a part of his first relationship that moved past just a friendship. It was rare and scary.  
  
Did he have doubts that he would be able to keep up with Blurryface's state and satisfy him? Yes.  
  
Would this entire relationship between the two, whatever it is, end in flames? Possibly.  
  
Did Spooky care that he had the possibility to ruin everything for himself in the future? Not at all. Because right then and right there, he wasn't caring about himself at all. He cared that the boy that was currently sleeping against him was okay and will remain okay, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

The next morning was utter chaos.  
  
They had school that day, and they both awoke to Blurryface's obnoxious alarm blaring at them to get up. It was 7 AM. They eventually got up after another ten minutes of laying there, and from there on out it was complete confusion.  
  
Neither of the boys had ever needed to get ready for school anywhere other than their house, and much less with another person. As they were getting up and trying to figure out what to do, Caroline knocked at the closed door.  
  
"The weather is chilly today, make sure to dress in layers, boys," she said. "You're late, also, so try and hurry. No skipping," she warned, leaving them alone.  
  
Blurryface shivered slightly, standing up and glancing tiredly at the boy still in bed. "I'm gonna go shower, feel free to do whatever," he mumbled. Spooky watched as he turned around. He could see the boy’s shoulder blades through his thin shirt.  
  
Spooky took what Blurry said as an opportunity to stay right where he was, as he showered at night and did so before he showed up at Blurry's doorstep the night before. "Your bed is warm, but it's so uncomfortable," he groaned.  
  
"I know, it's shit." Blurry closed the door to the connected bathroom behind him.  
  
Shifting his legs, Spooky then realized that he had slept in his jeans, which was not in any way comfortable. He didn't do that often. He sighed in discomfort as he rolled over. He should probably get up. He was going to get ready when he realized that he didn't have any hygiene products or clothes with him. That was an issue. He could hear the water running in the room next to him, and he knew Blurry would get pissed if he just walked in. They still had boundaries. To pass the time he just waited, looking around at the brunet's room. It was a decent size, it looked bigger because he had picked up the stuff off of the scratched wood floors. His bookshelf was dusty, framed pictures sitting untouched. Spooky looked at the childhood photos of Blurryface, snickering quietly. His neck was darker then, but his eyes were duller. He was a cute little kid. He had just about the same hair, maybe lighter. There was other clutter next to the photos, dusty too. The redhead reached for his phone, taking an off-brand charger from nearby and plugging his phone in. He didn't have any missed calls, only a text from his sister, Midnight. She was assuming that Spooky stayed over. He texted a tired yes back. He opened Snapchat, sending streaks out to the list of people he had one with, clicking aimlessly through stories. He paused. On Devotee's was a snap of Hurricane smoking...something. Spooky clicked out of it. This was going to be interesting when it was inevitably explained, not that the redhead really wanted an explanation.

  
Eventually the water stopped running, and the tall boy could hear Blurryface curse from in the bathroom. Then the door opened, Spooky turning his head to see Blurryface, towel wrapped around his waist and his skin dewy.  
  
"Hot," Spooky commented, smirking as his eyes trailed down the other's body.  
  
"Shut up, I forgot to get clothes." Blurryface hissed.  
  
"Speaking of that, I need something to wear. And other things," the brown-eyed boy informed the other  
  
Blurry walked over to his dresser, pulling out a white collared shirt, some boxers, and black skinny jeans. "I have some stuff you can wear I guess, we're the same size it looks like. Here," Blurryface tossed him another pair of black jeans and a striped black and white shirt. "You also have your coat here, so."  
  
Spooky watched as Blurryface tugged the shirt on, sighing slowly as his bare back was now covered. Blurry looked over his shoulder before removing the towel. Red eyes glared warningly at the brown ones, Spooky blinking out of his trance and looking away from the shorter boy. "Sad, you were just about to—"  
  
"Shut it."  
  
Spooky rolled his eyes, clearing his throat and changing his shirt. "I need deodorant and a toothbrush as well, Blurry."  
  
"I'll find something in the bathroom, hold on a second," Once he was covered, Blurryface paused to walk over to his bathroom and dig through some more drawers.  
Spooky changed his pants. They looked exactly the same, and surprisingly fit similarly. Spooky seemed to be the perfect leg length, while Blurry’s wee always bunched at the ankles or cuffed. If he had to, he'd just wear his own, but he slept in them and he also didn't want to seem too dirty, even if Blurryface's room was a dump and he probably wouldn’t care.  
  
Blurry hummed quietly, pulling an old, yet still packaged toothbrush out of a drawer. "You're in luck today, Spooks."  
  
The redhead grinned, “Good.” He and Blurry switched spots so that Blurry could finish getting ready and Spooky could use the bathroom.  
  
Spooky took the old, blue toothbrush and ripped it out of the package, taking some toothpaste and applying it. Blurryface watched from the doorway, slightly amused. Watching people do mundane things was somewhat entertaining. Once the other boy finished brushing his teeth, he ran some water through his hair and finger-combed it, the red curls now looking neater and more vibrant. Blurryface then joined him, standing next to him in front of the sink. Spooky took the opportunity to ruffle Blurry's brown hair once the brunet had gone through it, earning a slap to his hand and a confused look.  
  
"Spooky," he grumbled.  
  
Spooky laughed.  
  
They finished in the bathroom, Blurryface then sitting on the foot of his bed in front of a mirror as he laced his boots. "Do you care if we're late today?"  
  
"No," Spooky mumbled, taking a seat next to Blurry. The brunet's white shirt had a red armband on it. Spooky wondered where Blurry got his clothes from.  
  
"Good, because we're really fucking late." Blurryface finished, looking back at himself in the mirror. He blinked, grabbing the red beanie from the top of his dresser and putting it on, almost covering his ears entirely. He stared at himself for a long time, interrupted by Spooky walking up to him and grinning.  
  
"It looks good on you," he commented.  
  
Blurry craned his head slightly, "Really? I like it, I'm not sure though. Maybe it's too much, maybe I should stick with black—"  
  
"No, I like it on you. Like I said, you look good."  
  
"You always think I look good though."  
  
"Well yeah, and so does almost every horny girl at school," Spooky Jim muttered the last part mainly to himself, Blurryface catching it anyways. "You'll be fine."  
  
"Their opinion has never mattered to me." Blurryface adjusted the beanie slightly, turning to face the other boy, eyes sharp.  
  
"Does my opinion matter?"  
  
"Well,” he shrugged, “guess it does now." Blurry held Spooky in a gaze, and they stayed like that for a few seconds before they both kissed slowly. And then Blurry's stained black hands found their way around the redhead's waist and he was whispering a soft, "Faster," into the other's lips. Spooky happily obliged.  
  
That's how, two minutes later, the two boys ended up back on Blurry's bed, the brunet straddling the other's lap, both of them sitting upright. Kisses were being trailed down Blurry's neck, stopped short by his shirt. The brown-eyed boy looked the other in the eyes, smiling softly. Blurryface took this as an opportunity to have his go, kissing ever so softly at Spooky's jawline, then down to his neck, and a little above his collarbone where the brunet bit down softly. This created a hum from the redhead, gasping softly as Blurry pulled away to see.  
  
The two sat still, staring into each other's eyes, breaths close and lips wet.  
  
"God," Spooky whispered, "you're so fucking hot."  
  
"I feel like you don't give yourself any credit, Spooks." Blurryface whispered back in return. They kissed more, this time it was more of a sweeter kiss, the boys making an attempt to pace themselves.  
  
"I don’t know why I’m kissing you so much,” Blurry whispered. “This is still fucking crazy.”  
  
"Yeah, it is,” Spooky replied. “Also, that’s probably your hormones.”  
  
Blurryface nodded, eyes on the red-lidded boy's neck. "There’s a spot on your neck. Sorry."  
  
"Are you kidding? That was one of the best things you've ever done," Spooky sighed, hands roaming around the other's hips. Blurry believed him. That's when his eyes caught his backpack.

His eyes widened. School. _Right_. “Holy shit, we need to go.”  
  
"Okay, you’re gonna have to get off my lap then,” Spooky said.

“I can’t do that when you’re holding me down, asshole.”

There was a glint in Spooky’s eyes as he slowly removed his hands from the shorter’s hips, Blurry narrowing his eyes as he swung a leg over and sat normally. He shook his head.

“Whose car are we taking?” Spooky asked.

“My siblings took the car this morning,” Blurry said. “So, yours.”

“Okay.” 

* * *

Blurryface sighed, squinting his eyes from the sun as he sat on the asphalt. The group was outside after school, sitting in a circle-like form. Most of them were on their phones, Nicotine eating a bag of potato chips while he looked at Devotee's phone. Blurryface was tapping through Snapchat stories.  
  
"You guys missed a really good fucking party last night," Hurricane mumbled, sliding her phone to the middle so everyone could see the vibrant and busy videos that were being shown. "I mean, it was just me and Dev getting shitfaced, but it felt like a party. We had a few other people over."  
  
Blurryface scoffed, averting his eyes. This was the last thing he wanted to hear about.  
  
"Yeah, and you did it without me, fucker," Crimson replied, eyes slanted at Hurricane.  
  
"Last time I checked, we weren't in a relationship, baby girl," Hurricane cooed, twirling a strand of short aqua hair.  
  
Crimson flicked her off, going back to whatever was on her phone.  
  
"Was I the only one who missed out on this?" Nicotine asked. Violent nodded his head no from across.  
  
"I didn't go either."  
  
"Yeah, it was just me and Hurricane and—holy _shit_! Spooky, is that a—" Devotee's eyes suddenly stayed on the sight of the redhead's neck, which had a reddish bruise forming on it. It was small, tiny even, but noticeable enough.  
  
The entire group went dead silent and focused their attention on Spooky, whose face was now a pinked color.  
  
"Were they good?"  
  
"Did you top?"  
  
"Wait. it looks fresh. It's from today, holy fuck, you turned into a hoe!"  
  
"Did you like it?"  
  
"Who the fuck was it?"  
  
The redhead groaned, burying his face in his hands, "I didn't have sex, oh my God. I literally just kissed someone. Calm your asses, this isn't the first time this has happened."  
  
Blurryface sat, looking at Spooky silently, acting curious.  
  
"Oh, _ 'I just kissed someone! _ ' my ass!" Hurricane retorted, looking back at Devotee. Then she snorted and started giggling.  
  
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Crimson asked.  
  
"It's funny, just a few days ago we were all shook that Blurry got laid, and now Spooky. It's almost like they're fucking each other."  
  
Blurryface choked on air, eyes wild. Spooky, next to him, buried his face in his hands.

  
"I would never," Blurryface exclaimed, eyes now on Hurricane.  
  
"Why the fuck would you even—oh my God!" Spooky Jim rolled his eyes, "No."  
  
"Your dick is probably disgusting anyways," Blurryface sneered straight at the boy next to him.  
  
"Well my dick probably can't fit in your ass," the brown-eyed boy shot back.  
  
"You’re probably one of those people that acts like they’re about to do something and then just leaves them there and laughs.”  
  
"You probably have a praise kink!"  
  
Blurryface was silent, eyes jeering at the redhead. "You'd probably enjoy that, wouldn't you?" There was silence.  
  
"Okay, we get it! You're not fucking! God damn!" Crimson yelled, shutting the two boys up. “We’ve already been through this shit last year. I’m tired of hearing you fuckers yell at each other.” Devotee was sitting there, grinning wide as he suppressed a laugh. Nicotine had stopped eating, Violent Cain was just staring at the two and Hurricane's mouth was wide open. Black Tear shook her head, getting up and leaving abruptly.  
  
Devotee failed to hide his amusement, bursting out into a loud laugh that caused everyone else to chuckle as well.  
  
"Well, now you two should just fuck. Hate fucking is the best. I wanna see what happens." Hurricane deadpanned.  
  
"I'm sure he would love that," Blurry teased, smiling almost devilishly at the curly-haired boy. Sarcasm dripped like liquid from his expression.  
  
"In your dreams, pretty boy," Spooky replied. Blurry shut up at the use of the nickname and gave Spooky a look.  
  
"Do you think if we just leave them here alone they'll fuck or some shit?" Devotee muttered to the rest. Nicotine hit his arm.  
  
"That's stupid as fuck, D. They're not just gonna—"  
  
"Shut the fuck up before I slap one of you," Spooky warned suddenly.  
  
Blurry eventually left, and a few minutes after, so did Spooky. The rest of the group was in silence.  
  
"I have second with them, they both came in late together halfway through," Violent Cain pursed his lips.  
  
"You're fucking with me," Crimson said, eyebrows raised as she gasped at Violent, who had remained hushed.  
  
"Not in the slightest," he replied.  
  
"Alright boys and girls." Hurricane announced. "They can't just not do anything now."


	4. IV: Air On The Tongue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: sexual scenes

“Tell me more about yourself,” Spooky said quietly. Blurry laid beside him in the other’s bed. The only lights on were colorful LED strip lights that were tacked to the ceiling, glowing a light blue. Blurry could pick out every one of Spooky’s features. It was 1 AM.

“Like what?”

“Like,” Spooky turned, catching Blurry’s eyes. “I don’t know. Give me your sob story or something.”

Blurry’s hands were curled under his cheek. He raised his eyebrows. ‘My whole sob story? You sure you wanna hear that?”

Spooky quirked his lips up in a reassuring way. “Yeah. It’s not like I’m gonna ridicule you or anything. I mean, if it makes you uncomfortable or something--”

“No, no,” Blurry hushed him. “I’ll talk about it. It’s just...I guess I haven’t really ever told anyone anything about my life or anything obviously. I don’t even know where I would start.”

Spooky’s voice was smooth, like a soft flame. “Just start talking. I’ll listen.”

Blurry nodded, looking down in thought. He bit his lip. “Um, well, my family is a mess, I guess that’s where all of this stems from, literally speaking too, like, genetics, I guess. My mother abandoned my family when I was five. Gold and M were younger, so they don’t really remember nor do they really give a fuck. I don’t really know why she left, but if I had a guess it would be because my dad is a mentally ill, drunken douchebag. He told me once that God told him to have kids or something, or that he read it in the Bible or something, I don’t know. 

“Anyways, he blamed my mother leaving on me for whatever reason, therefore I was paid no attention to as a kid. He’d deny me meals as this little kid and push me in front of a TV to watch cartoons so I didn’t throw a tantrum and I was just...alone. I hated my siblings because they were too clingy to me and so they grew apart from me in turn. And I didn’t have any friends in school either. Caroline came in at some point too, and God, I was so terrified she’d leave too so I wasn’t ever the nicest to her either. She’s only seventeen years older than me. She used to be my dad’s coworker, and volunteered to step in and mother us because she didn’t have kids. Then they got married. I think my father was nice to her at first, but he only married her for the extra money and so that my siblings would leave him alone. And as a kid, I guess that’s what I thought marriage was. I never had a good perception of relationships because I had none and the ones in my family were screwed up. I don’t even know my grandparents or anything. 

“Anyways, I went through the rest of school and was just really fucked over, y’know? I didn’t have friends ever, Caroline even put me on the basketball team in middle school so I could be social. The thing was that I just didn’t _want _to be social. I wanted to be alone because I was scared of people. Scared that they’d end up cold like my dad, or ignorant like my siblings, or like Caroline and come into my life and act like everything was okay. I was pretty fucking good at basketball too, but everyone hated me because I never talked to anyone, and God, I hated them too. 

“I got called gay for the first time in middle school, by one of the kids on that team. It became a running joke. Didn’t actually figure out that I was gay until eighth grade when I caught myself staring at some sex magazine a girl snuck into the library once. And that’s what I think really got me. I think back to the times when my father would watch the news or some shit and just absolutely trash the fuck out of gay people. And then I started thinking about how I didn’t want to date anyone or have sex or anything, so why did I deem myself gay? Maybe it was because it just fit. I was already unnatural and fucked up, so why not? It started my spiral downward, and it got worse in high school because this person was dating that person and so-and-so lost their virginity at someone’s house and _ God _I just found that shit so disgusting and revolting. Didn’t educate myself or anything. People started trying to hit on me and it would take everything in me not to yell at them.” Blurry paused. Spooky was listening intently, eyes watching the other like a hawk, attentive as he could. He could listen to Blurry talk all day.

“Crimson dragged me into this stupid friend group after I picked a fight with some fucker who called me a fag and it was my first time experiencing decent friends, and I got scared. Didn’t talk. They found me entertaining though, so I stayed. Caroline was fucking overjoyed. Then...you came along and then everyone started getting into relationships and shit and it just became way too much. Caroline asked me about homecoming one day and the next day I went to school and just snapped inside and _everything _ came back to me. Everything. Every time I saw a couple I’d get so irritated and jealous, because why couldn’t have my parents been like that? Why was it working for stupid kids? If my parents had a better relationship, maybe I wouldn’t have been starved or have trust or sleeping issues. And I was so, so overwhelmed. I just...hit that point. My life _sucks,_ y’know? There was no point in being here if I was going to live in misery like this. It was so _ fucking _constant. 

“Every day I had anxiety about something different, I was losing my grasp on the simple routine that I had that at least kept me grounded. And so the next night I just decided that I was done and tried to die. But I was a fucking dumbass. Dropped the fucking pill bottle on the ground and they spilled everywhere. Caroline heard and stopped me. At the time, we couldn’t afford therapy. So Caroline kept me out of school the next week and basically gave me therapy sessions. I got a little bit better. Went back to school, got mad again, but this time, instead of trying to end it, I just yelled at everyone. But that subsided, and here I am now, I guess.” Blurryface took a deep breath and shivered slightly, looking up at Spooky. “There you go,” he said quietly. “That’s my sob story. You’re the only person to hear that.”

Spooky was still, trying to read Blurry’s eyes. He felt like he’d been given a completely different and new copy of the Bible, processing the information. He had cracked Blurry’s Pandora’s box. “Blurry…” he whispered.

Blurry sighed. “You don’t have to reply. Just listen.” There was a pause. “What about you? Is there anything else to you other than being a rich fuckboy?’

Spooky cleared his throat. He was so close to Blurry, he could see every detail in his eyes. “My dad is involved with our church and my mom is someone important in some big company, I honestly forget. They use money to try and make up for the fact that they don’t care for me and my siblings. Oh, and my mom is terrified of my dad, even though he’s not even too bad. And, on my birth certificate, my name says James and same with T’s, his is Timothy, but for some reason, my mom liked the ring of Spooky. I think it sounds dumb, but she has a weird nostalgia for Halloween or some weird shit.

‘I always had fake friends in school, they were weird and only liked me because I held good birthday parties. In middle school, I became friends with Party and Ghoul, and they were good friends. And then Party’s grandma died and he coped with it really angrily. I tried to be there for him, but the two of them put me on the back burner and didn’t tell me anything. I got upset. And then they got together and started dating so I became the third wheel.

“It was awful, I felt forgotten and used and it just...hurt. So I ended up yelling at them about it and they yelled back and we fell out completely. That’s when I met Dev, and we started hanging out and obviously I was introduced to you all. I was afraid I’d get put on the back burner, but it never ended up like that and Dev and Hurricane became some of my closest friends even though we don’t even talk that much. My siblings are strange. My sister is isolated and obsessed with veganism, she’s one of those people, and my brother can’t get his ass outta other peoples’ business. My first girlfriend, Paris, who I actually really did think was sweet, turned out to be a lesbian when she moved away.” He bit the inside of his cheek. “I realized I was bi last year. I got really scared, really frustrated. It was funny. Looked at uh...someone, and then it was like all I could focus on was guys.”

“Who?” Blurry interrupted.

Spooky rolled his eyes. “You’re cute when you’re jealous. It was nobody,” he said, staring at the little curve up of Blurry’s nose, the small flush he had on his cheeks. It was mesmerizing. “Anyways, I was scared I was gay, scared my dad would somehow miraculously find out, but I settled with being bi and got a shit ton of girlfriends to try and turn myself straight. I regret it. It was really fucking stupid. One even dumped me because she had a conspiracy I was gay because I refused to sleep with her. The others were just bitches. And I have a really big ego, so I deemed some of them not good enough. I guess you kinda helped me with that whole bi thing, y’know, sealing my fate.” Spooky joked. “That’s all I can think of. Nowhere near as detailed as yours.’

“I’ll get more of the details one day, I guess,” Blurry whispered.

“Yeah,” Spooky said. There was a moment of silence between the two before the redhead traced his hand on the other’s jaw, pulling him close and kissing him, slow and cautiously. He stopped.‘Sorry, I just…”

“You don’t have to apologize for kissing me, dumbass,” Blurry hummed. Spooky blushed, and they kissed again, slow still before Spooky spoke up again.

“Thank you for sharing all of that,” he mumbled. “You didn’t have to. And for what it’s worth, I really do care about you. And, I have cared, even though it may not have looked like it. I was so worried for you when you were gone that week, and I’m sorry I was a cunt when you got back. I’d take it back if I could.”

“It’s fine,” Blurry replied. “But thank you,” he said.

Spooky just kissed him again.

* * *

  
  
Many, many weeks passed, and somehow the universe hadn't decided to let the world know about the two stupid boys that were doing whatever with their lives and each other. Blurry couldn't coin a term for it exactly. He was just letting it happen.

What he did know, however, is the fact that he did not like the fact that a girl was almost to the point of pressing Spooky Jim against a locker. Blurry wasn't too far from the scene, he could see the other boy's pained and annoyed expression as he tried to push the girl off. It was the second time this had happened over the last few weeks. Dumb ass girls, just looking for a sleazy fuck after feeling bad for him. Blurryface found it absolutely revolting.

After Blurry had caught a glimpse of the scene, the rest of the day had gone almost entirely south.

He waited for a millisecond just to see if Spooky's attempts to get out of his current situation were of any success, but damn, the girl kept pushing, batting her lashes. And that's when said girl entered hell.

Blurryface began to walk over, angry, upset and a little amused all at once.

"Listen, I'm not interested, back off," he could hear the redhead say.

"Oh, come on. You’re no fun," the girl whined rather softly. She put her hand on the door of the locker, causing Spooky to shift.

"I said, I'm not interested, and I suggest," he looked over the girl's shoulder and eyed Blurryface, "you get away from me before you start regretting this."

"C'mon, not even a coffee? I'm not _that_ ugly, am I?"

Spooky closed his eyes slightly, trying to get out of his position. "I'm not kidding, I'd fucking leave if I were you."

"What do I have to do to go out with you?" the unnamed girl kept on, stopped by someone else clearing their throat.

"Get off of him." Blurryface eyed her warningly. The girl turned at the voice and frowned.

"I'm sorry?" her demeanor changed, "Do I know you?"

"Oh, _ shut up,_ you literally sent me and probably five other guys nudes last night without me asking for them. Now, like I said, get the fuck off of him."

Her face went bright pink and she started stuttering "I-I didn't think you would see that." she stammered. "Uh, and I’m keeping my distance. We’re in Physics together," she laughed

“I’ve literally never talked to you,” Spooky said.

"You're a real fucking moron," Blurryface stepped closer, "I said, Get. Off. Of. Him." The air was tense, Blurry breathing slowly as his voice deepened slightly and his fists clenched.

The girl didn't answer, Blurry could see the clumped mascara that rested on her eyelashes.

"You heard him, he said no to whatever you wanted to do. He said no multiple times and even tried to leave. So, get your nasty ass away from him before something happens." His voice was raised.

"Listen, buddy, I think you just need to leave. Maybe I just wanted to talk. You’re blowing this out of proportion.”

"I wouldn't make a big deal out of this if I were you," Blurry's red eyes brightened.

"I feel very uncomfortable right now, and you're being such an ass. I'm sure Spooky doesn't want to talk to you over me." the girl protested, clearly upset with the boy across from her.

"Yeah well he sure did enjoy sleeping with me last night!" the brunet shot back in a raised voice, closing his eyes instantly after. The words slipped before he could stop himself. An apparent crowd had formed at the commotion, and Blurry heard various murmurs. He opened his eyes to see the girl, offended.

She pursed her lips, turning to the redhead. "That’s disgusting.”

"Nobody wants you here." Spooky stepped over next to Blurry, who had his head towards the ground. The girl stomped off, cursing at every person recording her that she possibly could. That’s when the teachers came out, disbanding the crowd and yelling at them to get to class.

Spooky turned to look at the people and their phones, sighing as most of them were put down. He met eyes with their group, quickly looking back at Blurryface, who was still. "C'mon, we have English.”

The red eyes looked up, worry shattering them like glass. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s okay, let’s go.”

"You two have some major explaining to do," Hurricane said lowly as they tried to pass. Blurry groaned, frustrated.

"I think you know enough."

Black Tear suddenly approached the two boys, mad. Eyes piercing, her eyebrows were furrowed."You've both fucked up so bad, I cannot fucking believe you, Blurryface."

"Screw off, Tear." He walked down the hall, Spooky by his side. A few people stared him down as they passed, and Blurry kept his head down, trying to get rid of the white noise that flooded his brain. "I cannot fucking believe I did that," Blurry stressed.

"I can."

They made it to the classroom. Blurryface bit his lower lip slowly as he sat down in his seat, Spooky sat down right behind him.

Soul Punk sat down later. Blurry wanted to punch that stupid kid’s guts out before he even started talking.

“You don’t look too happy today, Blurryface. Did your boyfriend break up with you after you admitted you two were gay to a majority of the school?” The blond gave a knowing and mischievous smile. Blurry flicked him off.

“Shut up, douchebag,” Spooky murmured.

Jet Star turned around and frowned at Soul.

Blurry put his head down on his desk. Soul’s words replayed in his head.

He and Spooky weren’t even dating, so it’s not like they could break up, but Spooky could definitely stop all of this. He didn’t want to be the gay kid, Blurry knew that.

He fucked up _ bad._

**h**

ANSWER ME

ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY FUCKING

**dev**

they aren’t gonna answer

**crimson**

@b @spook are y’all serious

also are y’all ok

**violent cain**

calm down

**nic **

this is so fucking crazy this is crazy

**dev**

i . I don’t even know what to say

**h**

BLURRY AND SPOOKY 

OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE

IM CACKLING THIS SHIT SO FUNNY

**crimson**

i kinda see it tho

**h**

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA

Blurry’s stomach dropped.

* * *

Blurry sat in the passenger seat of Spooky, car, arms folded, heart beating erratically.

"Well," Spooky sighed. "Today was interesting."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," said Spooky. "It's okay."

"What are we?" Blurry asked.

Spooky looked at him, hesitating. "I don't know. What do you want to be?"

"Anything other than whatever label we are now. It's getting tiring not knowing what's happening, I can’t do this anymore," Blurryface responded. A moment of silence was shred, and the brown-eyed boy gulped, staring Blurry dead in the face.

Spooky sighed, "Well then be my boyfriend."

Blurryface looked up to face the redhead, staring at him.

"I'm serious. Let's date. Right now."

"O-okay."

"You okay?" Spooky asked expectantly.

He knew. Blurry was grateful.

Blurryface blinked, staring down at his hands before his head snapped to the redhead. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"You don't look like you are," Spooky softly told him.

"I just—that girl was all _ over _ you. And so was the one last week. And it's _disgusting._ And it’s not going to stop just because we’re a thing, and I don't like it, and—"

"—you're an insanely jealous asshole."

"Exactly! How did you know?" Blurryface replied, a sarcastic smile plastered on his face.

"Just a lucky guess," Spooky shrugged.

"I just don't like it. Why can't people just learn to fuck off?" Blurryface folded his arms, eyes looking out the windshield.

"Well it's either you tell them, or they stop themselves," Spooky replied, keeping his gaze on the red-eyed boy.

"They aren't just going to stop. That's what fucking gets to me." Blurryface frowned.

"They might if they know that we're a thing."

"Well how are they supposed to fucking know? They don't sit and watch us dick around, do they?"

"No, but I mean, you did just tell the entire damn school we’re fucking after keeping it to ourselves all this time. Maybe if you’d said something earlier, none of this would’ve happened.”

Blurryface was defeated at this point. "I’m not obligated to tell people that shit. You saw how everyone reacted.”

"Okay, well, y'know what makes me upset?"

"What?" the red-eyed boy grumbled.

"The fact that as soon as some ass lays eyes on me, you're after them just like that," Spooky snapped his fingers. "But yet, you're always the one to hide what we do, and then you let people look and stare you, eye you up and down, because hell, you look like a fucking _god._ You get sent nudes for God's sake! But they have no clue, do they? They have absolutely no clue that you were on your knees for me just the night before. People won’t bother us anymore, Blur. They’ll get the hint and leave. That’s how it works,” he sighed. “I won’t let anything happen, okay? Nobody’s gonna mess with us. And don’t be ashamed. We look good, I promise.”

Blurryface rolled his eyes, arms still crossed. “Okay.” Spooky looked back ahead, backing the car out of the parking lot. Blurry blinked, turning his head. "Are you taking me home?"

"My house, pretty boy. And before you ask, no, my parents aren't home and my siblings are off with a tutor. You can be as loud as your cold heart desires."

Blurry forgot how to breathe for a few seconds.

Spooky kept his eyes on the road ahead of him as he turned out of the school, the brunet doing the same.

"Y'know, you aren't too bad of a boyfriend, Spooky."

"I'm going to be the best one your sorry ass will ever have."

“You are so full of yourself. Like you said, I could have anyone I want,” Blurry teased.

“We’ll see about that.”

“Excuse me…?”

“I said,” Spooky repeated himself, glancing over at Blurryface, “we’ll see about that.”

Blurry blushed. He didn’t know why he was blushing. Spooky had a mischievous smirk on his lips.

* * *

Blurryface exhaled, resting his head back onto a seemingly soft pillow, looking at the ceiling. "That was—_fuck _."

The brown-eyed boy hummed, "Find another word, you always say that."

"Okay," Blurry rolled his eyes, "That was...enjoyable."

"It better have been," Spooky replied back. "You sound exhausted."

"And who's fault is that, dumbass?"

"Oh, it's definitely my fault, I'm well aware of that," Spooky Jim smirked, eyes on the brunet's bare skin. "But we didn't even do much, you're acting like—"

"Well I'm sorry, but having your ass eaten takes the fucking life out of you, dickhead! When you said you wanted to try something I wasn’t expecting..._ that…_!"

Spooky giggled. "I wouldn't know."

Blurry nudged his leg, scoffing. "Yeah, and while you were doing all of this you were also giving me a lecture on how you were gonna make sure that no one would ever try and take me from you from here on out. You're a possessive little shit, it's overwhelming."

"Just want to make sure nobody steals my pretty boy from me," the red-haired boy replied in a whisper, kissing more at the boy's neck.

Blurryface craned his head, "You're dead set on that nickname aren't you?" he murmured.

"It fits you, and if I use it in the right way, it gets you all flustered," Spooky grinned slightly.

The brunet gasped quietly. "I guess. You're still a fucking idiot for thinking that if someone else tried to come along that I’d go with them. I would never."

The two met for a slow kiss, lips lingering for a second before the taller boy broke it off.

"We used to hate each other," Blurryface sighed.

"I dunno, still kinda want to punch you in the face half the time," Spooky replied.

Blurry bit his lip. "The feeling is mutual." They laid in silence, staring at each other for a while. Blurry shifted further into Spooky's warm chest, a breath escaping his lips

"I'm sorry," Spooky whispered. "Don't think I've said that enough."

"What are you sorry for?"

"For being a complete dick to you. Y'know, last year," Spooky frowned

"Don't apologize, Spooky. It's over and done with. We're obviously different people now."

"Yeah," he said, "I get that, but it doesn't mean you don't deserve an apology. I came off as a complete cunt, and I didn't mean to. I don't think I understood, but I mean now I do. So I do want to say I'm sorry. Because you didn't deserve that after all the shit you went through."

"I deserved it," Blurry shrugged, "but thanks. I mean... I was an ass too. I didn't handle anything well at all and I shouldn't have even tried to come after you or anything. I messed a ton of shit up back then, but it's done now. Now we're here, so I guess we can shove it aside," the boy said.

They stared at each other again, and Spooky looked as if he was melting.

"You're fucking beautiful," Spooky deadpanned.

Blurryface blushed, trying to hide his face in the other. Spooky paused it, pushing the brunet's chin up so they were eye to eye again.

"So you've told me," Blurry muttered.

"But I mean it," the redhead argued, brown eyes sharp. "You're literally the most attractive person I've ever known. Even your mind, it's all dark and mysterious and poetic. I keep finding new things that I've never noticed before, and not one of them is unappealing at all. I mean, I know you hear shit like this all the time, but damn."

"Thank you," Blurryface grinned, cheeks pink.

"I mean it."

"Shut up." More kisses, more quiet staring. Blurry had a new appreciation for his boyfriend's eyes.

Spooky uncrossed his ankles. "We still need to get cleaned up."

"No shit," Blurryface mumbled back. "I would get up and help you but I don't feel like moving."

Spooky Jim smirked. "Don't worry, Blur. I've got it."

The red-eyed boy nodded, watching as his boyfriend got himself off the bed, His eyes lingered on all the little freckles on the redhead's back and shoulders. One day, he was going to count them. He was exhausted and very deep into his own head by now, but when Spooky returned with a dampened cloth and then got right back in bed with the brunet, holding him close, Blurry realized one of his biggest fears had come true. His entire thought process was nothing but the other boy, it was a constant focus on rich eyes and bright hair and snowy skin, or how tall Spooky was and how he had that of a lean swimmer’s body with strong arms and broad shoulders and a charming smile that reminded Blurry of 80’s cult classics and _ God_, Blurry couldn’t let this go for the life of him. It was like a parasite, eating at his brain and biting at his skin until he was nothing but raw and vulnerable flesh in someone else’s hands, bones to be bent and played with, and at the same time it was complete euphoria, but all Blurry could do was mend the lines together until they became one and the same. The only problem was that doing that was near impossible and Blurry’s fingers were twisting the euphoria tight around his body and leaving the parasite in the dust of previous years.

He realized he was going to fall headfirst and burst his skull open into at least a million different pieces.

And Spooky wasn’t just going to stand there and watch. He was going to pick each one up like it was a precious material and glue them right back together.

Blurry was scared.

* * *

His head spun, it hurt, it headed him in the wrong direction as Spooky dropped him off with a kiss. They had fallen asleep, only to wake up and realize that Blurry had to go home, so Spooky snuck out of his house and left. Luckily his parents were off on a “very important” business trip on the other side of the country for the next two weeks, so they didn't have to bother worrying about that. Sometimes, Blurry felt like he was living in a movie.

In retrospect, it sounded fine, but Blurry came to understand that he needed to stop sleeping his feelings off, because they just became stronger after he woke up. They became stronger when he saw something that wasn't the usual sly satisfaction in Spooky's brown eyes.They became stronger when the redhead refused to let go of Blurry's dark ashen hand as they drove to the brunet's house. They became stronger when the paler looked him in the eyes and said, "Be careful," in the softest tone Blurry had ever heard.

And he didn't want any of it.

He wanted Spooky's eyes to switch back to being smug. He wanted him to keep his space and not grasp his hand like it was oxygen. He wanted him to be speechless when Blurry left, and he didn't want him to care so much.

The problem was that Blurry himself would feel shattered if this wasn't going on. He would feel used, he would feel like a toy in making Spooky's life "carefree" again. He wouldn't want the kisses, the intimacy, the looks if that were the case.

Spooky cared more than the red-eyed boy ever anticipated he would. He shouldn't care. He shouldn't feel bad for being mad at Blurry for trying to end his life a year ago. He shouldn't want better things for Blurry, he shouldn't fucking _care._

But he did, and there was nothing Blurry could do to stop it because deep down somewhere, it was inevitably the one thing he wanted most. But that yearn was buried away under hate and lust and hormones and cruelty and anxiety and sadness and Blurryface would _ never _admit that it was being dug up slowly, little by little until it rested on top. And when it rested on top, Blurry would become vulnerable. The redhead could tear him apart at any minute, and vice versa. He was horrified of it all. Horrified of what people would think, horrified of how it would end up, horrified that everything he had built up, the structured concrete wall he had inside of him, would turn to dust.

The feeling he was growing into was something he didn't know. It was unsafe, not secure at all. He was too young for any of it. He was too shattered in the first place. He felt dizzy walking home.

* * *

Blurryface came home to his drunk and unsurprisingly awake father reprimanding his sister

It was 12 AM in the morning.

Sure, Blurry has snuck out before, he'd gotten yelled at for it, but he had never snuck out and then come home to a fight. The brunet was already on the verge of tears, and when he quietly opened the door and faced Gold cowering in fear at the older man, he gulped, slowly turning around and closing the door with an audible _click._

"You have been missing for the entire night, Golden. Where the fuck were you?!"

"I— I was with my friends, we were just hanging out," she admitted, fumbling with her hands. She looked ashamed, her makeup looked as if it was melting off of her face, her hair was frizzy and down. She hiccuped. The father looked enraged.

Blurryface watched in complete silence, not daring to move a foot. His heart was beating way too fast.. His father caught notice of the door shutting, snapping his head in the direction of the boy. The pit in Blurry's stomach grew, he felt horribly sick. "And you," the old man sneered, "you've been gone for the entire fucking day after school, then you finally fucking show up at 12 AM, huh? Where've you been, boy?"

Blurry could see the fire in his father's eyes, and he narrowed his own, breathing slowly, "Why do you care?" Despite his nerve, he wasn't going to let down this easily.

"I'll stop caring once I know what the fuck you've been up to."

Blurryface's breath hitched, and he knew there was no getting out of this now. He braced himself for the yelling he would get, closing his eyes softly.

"I said, _ where the hell _ have you been?!"

Blurry kept his jaw clenched. He would not answer, nor would cry. He couldn’t.

"I'll handle him, you go talk to Gold," a feminine voice spoke. Blurryface thanked whatever God was out there, opening his eyes again to see Caroline with a frown on her soft-featured face. "Come on, Blurry. Your room, now."

Blurryface sighed, following the blonde up the stairs. He entered his room, shutting his door behind him. Caroline's face dropped, and she sat on the foot of his bed, tapping her foot on the floor.

"Something happen at school?"

"There was an argument." Blurryface mumbled.

"Involving you?"

He nodded, silent. "It wasn't anything big, I just...fucked up. Spooky took me home."

"And then you just stayed there until the middle of the night?" Caroline raised her eyebrows.

"I knew dad was coming home today so I knew I needed to be home, but I fell asleep and lost track of time." Blurryface sank slowly to the ground, face in his hands. "I'm sorry, I just... guess I got too caught up, this is so new."

"You hold him really close, don't you?"

The brunet nodded, sniffing. Everything came flooding back violently and Blurry’s mind surged. One word flashed, over and over and over. It was consuming him, eating his train of thought, sending him into an enteral abyss of worry. One thing that could destroy him. One confession, one relationship, one simple word. Threatening him, taunting him, telling him he wasn't worthy of such a luxury. A luxury he wasn’t prepared to handle. He didn’t have the strength to do it. He just wanted it to go away. His fingernails dug into his face, and he clawed at it, shaming himself when he felt the wetness escaping down his cheeks. He dragged his hands down his face, eyes clenched closed.

"Blurry?" Caroline asked softly, "you okay?"

"I can’t," he whispered, strained. “I can’t fucking do this.”

And with that, the brunet burst into a sob, shaking as tears escaped him. All of the stress that had been piled was now gone, and with that also went his stability. The woman's expression hardened, and she got off the bed to kneel at Blurry's level, pulling him close.

“Blurry, talk to me. What’s wrong? Take it slow, deep breaths,” she softly advised, a hand on his shoulder.

“I can’t say it, _ I can’t,_” he hissed. “Oh my _ God_.”

Caroline talked slowly. “Yes you can, B. Don’t keep it in, you know you can’t do that, just breathe. You’re okay. Nothing’s going to hurt you.”

“I...I think…” Blurry opened his eyes wide, hands pressed against the sides of his head. “I’m falling. I can’t stop it. Caroline, it won’t stop, I can’t make it stop.” He took a slow, shaking breath. “I think I’m starting to...to love him, _goddamnit,_” he heaved, voice shuddering. "I'm so scared," the brunet whispered in between cries, struggling to catch his breath.

"Oh, Blurry," she sighed, "listen to me, okay?" Caroline looked directly at the boy, green eyes soft yet somewhat stern. "It’s going to be okay. You trust him, and he trusts you. I don't know what happened, but you two went from not liking each other to being able to keep up a relationship. And in order for people to go through that in this amount of time, a big amount of trust and respect has to come between the two, and that's exactly what happened with you two. He's careful with you, Blurryface. He wouldn’t mess you over. For the most part, I think he knows you better than anyone else but you, if you let him in like that." Her voice was soft, and she kept a hand on his arm.

"What if he doesn't," Blurry's voice was broken, "w-what if he... God, I don't understand why I'm like this, I haven't even known him for long," he gritted. "None of this makes any fucking _ sense _!"

"I think maybe you just suppressed it for a long time," she offered gently. "Sure your hormones are acting up, and maybe you're taking more of the physical aspects very fast, but I think the emotions you're dealing with have been stowed away and guarded for so long now that at some point, you just can't run from it anymore. You don't even let yourself love family members. And y’know, he’s giving you a piece of your life that nobody else can provide. It makes sense, as you're letting him in and appreciating that he does care, unlike you do with others. It's gonna be confusing, but I think it's best to let it happen, okay?"

Blurry's tears only kept coming, and he knew there was no way to get past this. "I never wanted this, Caroline," he cried, opening his tear-stained eyes slowly. "I don't like this at all."

"Well, it’s better to experience this now instead of later. I know it's scary, but I need you to do one thing, okay?"

"Wh-what's that?"

"Don't isolate yourself, please," she said quietly. "Even if you're scared, you have to keep up with it. If you want him to know you care too, then you can’t distance yourself. Who knows, maybe something'll happen."

The brunet sniffed, "What if he just— leaves me?"

"Well there's no reason he would, would he? You've explained yourself to him. As I said, I've seen the way he looks at you. And judging by that, and just about everything else I can see, he's not going to let you go. You gotta have a little faith, Blurry. You can’t just be pessimistic."

"I just don't know what to do," he whispered.

"You just have to trust yourself." She looked around at the room, hand still on the boy's arm. "It's late, alright? Get some rest. You need it."

"I'm gonna fuck everything up."

"No you aren't, I believe in you, B." Caroline gave the boy one last hug before she stood up, hand on the doorknob. Caroline paused. "Love you, Blurry."

"Yeah," the red-eyed boy replied, stone still as he stared into the distance with tear ridden cheeks.

Caroline smiled sadly before leaving, shutting the door behind her.

Blurryface sat for a few moments, thinking about almost anything and everything as he wiped his hands across his face. Eventually, he dragged himself over to his bed, taking off his shoes and peeling the jeans off of his legs, exhausted. His phone vibrated from his table, and Blurry knew who it was from, but there was no way he was opening it. He didn't dare. He didn't even want to show at school the next day.

Hauling himself under his bed covers, the brunet collapsed, tears coming back to his eyes.

* * *

  
  
The day so far had been almost vacant in a sense for Spooky.

Blurry hadn't shown yet, and it was now third period— almost lunch. Spooky missed him.

The most worrying part for the redhead was that Blurry didn't answer his phone. He'd tried calling a few times, and sent a shitload of texts to the brunet, but there was no reply. Blurry always answered his phone, or always looked at it at least. He'd let it die three times in his lifetime, so it was highly unlikely that the boy's phone was dead or turned off.

**spooks**

where the fuck are you

**spooks**

???

**spooks**

blurryyyyyyy

**spooks**

i'm bored as fuck

**spooks**

okay blur it's been like almost two hours now and i know your phone isn't dead

you always charge it

**spooks**

blurryface are you okay

**spooks**

okay it's been three hours

**spooks**

please answer i'm worried

**spooks**

shit blurry where the hell are you

**spooks**

you never miss school ever except when you skip and you only ever do that with me

**spooks**

i'm worried blur

**spooks**

okay, next period is lunch

i'm coming over if you don't answer

**spooks**

please be okay blurry

"The reason Blurry isn't here today is because he's too much of a pussy to admit that he sucked Spooky's dick last night," Hurricane joked at the lunch table.

"I think they did a little more than get each other off," Devotee pursed his lips.

"Will you shut the fuck up already? I'm worried, he hasn't answered me all fucking day," Spooky grumbled, eyes looking black.

"Calm down, fool. He's probably just asleep or something, I mean, rough se—"

The redhead shot up out of his seat, the chair making an unpleasant and loud scraping noise with it. Hurricane shut up, and the rest of the group remained silent. Spooky was fuming.

"If you don't shut that skanky _ fucking _mouth of yours I will not hesitate to hit you," the boy threatened to the turquoise. His voice was cold and angry, fists clenched.

Violent hesitantly put a hand on his arm. "Whoa, dude. Chill. She was joking," he said.

Spooky shook his head, "Yeah, well, it wasn’t fucking funny. I just wish you guys would fucking take a hint for once. It isn't your relationship, it isn't your life. I have every right to be worried about this, last time something like this happened, Blurryface ended up absent for a whole week and the reason wasn't fucking pleasant," he explained. "I was an asshole about it last time, and if I don't make sure things are okay, I don't know where it could lead this time and I'm fucking scared. So if you excuse me, I'm going to go make sure he's okay. I don't want to hear jack shit from any of you, especially you, Dev. If Nicotine was like this we all know you'd feel the same way."

Spooky left the lunchroom.

"Oh my God, he's lost his fucking mind," Devotee groaned. "This is so weird, it's like they hated each other last year but all of the sudden Spooky's defending Blurryface and they're in love? Jesus, he's in out of his head."

"Blurry is weird though," Crimson replied. "Who knows, maybe it's like one of those instant attachment things. Besides, Spooky probably knows shit about that dick that we'll never hear. I dunno, I'd just let it happen. They're both dumb anyways."

Hurricane didn’t sound convinced. "I just want to know what the fuck happened for them to do this."

"I dunno, Blurry was a virgin after all. Doing that shit for the first can make you feel like you're head over heels for someone if it's done right and I'm thinking that's what happened," Devotee told her.

"Blurry's not the type to do that shit, though. I mean he's refused just about every offering at this school in terms of a relationship or sex or whatever. This is just so fucking strange, they haven't even acted any different! I didn't even know Blurry was gay for that matter," Crimson piped in.

"Maybe they just decided to fuck and see where it went from there."

"I feel bad talking about this," Violent shifted. "I don't really think Spooky or Blurry want us to."

"Fuck them, dude," Hurricane rolled her eyes. "They're fucking assholes anyways, they get what they deserve."

* * *

The redhead did in fact leave during lunch, quickly checking himself out of the school for "family emergency" reasons, a small perk left for the upperclassmen who could drive.

It was raining when Spooky exited the building, putting a hat on and hurrying to his car which was ever so conveniently parked in the back of the student parking lot. His shoes clapped against the asphalt, the redhead unlocking the car in a rush and sitting in the driver's seat. He was pissed, saddened, and about to cry out of frustration. He wished the group would keep their traps shut, he hoped Blurry's stepmom knew what was going on, and he also hoped to God that maybe Blurry was just sleeping in after all.

The boy made his way to the red-eyed boy's street, leaving his car on the side of the road as he got out and walked up to the door. None of the cars that were usually parked in the driveway were there, and it was a decent enough sign. He was wet, but luckily the porch was covered. Drying his palms on his jeans, he knocked rather loudly on the door.

No reply.

"God fucking damnit," Spooky gritted through his teeth, closing his eyes as his hands reached for the doorknob and turned it. For whatever reason, it was unlocked.

The redhead sighed in relief, stepping in and shutting the door behind him. "Blur?" he called, not too loudly just in case someone was home. He didn't want to face an angry sibling or parent. There was no answer once more, so Spooky ran up the stairs to see Blurryface's door cracked. He nudged it open, and there laid a what seemed to be sleeping Blurryface, huddled up under his blanket.

Spooky Jim exhaled, rubbing his face in relief but also getting angry with himself and his unneeded stress. He walked over quietly to the sleeping boy. As he had an entire thick comforter wrapped around him, Spooky couldn't see if his breathing was regulated, the only thing visible being his head.

"Blurryface?" he spoke, not wanting to have to bother him.

The brunet stirred, eyelashes fluttering as he opened his red eyes slowly.

"Jesus fuck, Blurry, you scared the fucking hell out of me, you little shit!" Spooky almost wanted to cry.

"Mm," the smaller boy's breath hitched as he caught eye contact with his boyfriend. "W-what're you doing?"

"You didn't show up to school," the other stressed, "and you didn't answer your phone. I got worried, okay?" he closed his eyes, trying not to come off as too harsh, despite the small bit of anger he had. "Why didn't you show up?"

"I’m sick—I feel like shit," the brunet muttered softly turning his head away from the other.

"You don’t have to lie to me."

"I said I feel like _ shit _today, Spooky!" Blurry raised his tired voice, making an attempt to sit up. "M'sorry."

"God, I was worried sick, I thought maybe something happened and I didn’t know what to do. Is there anything I can do now?" Spooky asked, kneeling to get on eye level with the upset boy.

Blurryface took a long look at the redhead, who's expression was soft and worried. He shut his eyes, inhaling sharply before he started crying once again. Blurry was a silent crier.

"Blur," Spooky whispered. "what happened?"

"Shit's happening," the brunet cried softly.

"Are you hurt? Did you do something? What's going on?"

"I'll be fine, I'm just...y’know...fucked up, you should know that. Just... go home. Back to school. Whatever." Blurry sounded upset, he sounded sad. He sounded lifeless. He was crying.

The brown-eyed boy stood up, walking to the other side of the bed and climbing in, adjusting the comforter to where it covered the both of them. Wrapping his arms around the crying boy's waist, he nuzzled his head into the crook of Blurryface's stained neck, lips grazing softly at the faintly bruised skin. His legs hooked with Blurry's, and they were close. The brunet breathed shakily, letting it happen. Spooky could tell he was too tired and upset to protest, so the redhead's actions were soft. He didn't know what was going on, and he couldn't stand it, but he did what he could. Spooky sighed quietly. He could still hear the tears.

"Blurryface?"

"What?"

I—," the redhead swallowed. "I'm not going to leave you, ever, okay? I don't know what's going on, or why you're so upset that you didn't show today, but just know that whatever it is, I'm not just going to leave you here.”

Blurryface only cried more. "Thank you."

* * *

"So, you two are actually fucking."

Hurricane sat down across from the two boys, joining the lunch table with Devotee and Violent Cain already there. The cafeteria was loud, full today as it was still raining that week. Both Blurry and Spooky had completely avoided their friends up until now, sitting in a back hallway in the morning and not speaking to them between classes. But now it was lunch, and their privacy was no more.

Blurryface didn't want to talk about this. "For the last time, Hurricane, stop asking, my God." he groaned, head against the table. "There's nothing to talk about.”

"But there's everything to talk about, Blurry! I want answers. Wait 'till everyone gets here though. I think we all deserve to know," she smiled, greeting Crimson and patting an empty seat next to her. The orange-haired girl sat down with a smirk on her face.

"We talkin' 'bout Blurryface and Spooky Jim? Damn, this is the conversation I've been waiting for." She giggled.

Never more had Blurry wished that he could kill someone. That someone had bright aqua hair and a devilish smile.

"Mhm," Hurricane smirked, "gonna wait for the rest of our pals though." Suddenly Nicotine appeared as if on cue, alongside Black Tear, who had on bright red lipstick today. They set their lunch trays down silently.

"Speaking of that, here they come! Right on time, you two! We're going to hear all about what those two idiots over there have been up to," Hurricane pointed to the two boys, getting a death glare from Spooky in response.

"Who said we'd tell you anything?"

"I did!" Hurricane clicked her nails against the table, looking at both of them. "So, who's going first?"

"Neither of us," Blurryface hissed.

Spooky Jim rolled his eyes. "You've asked me about this at least 5 times today, H. Calm the fuck down."

"Not until you tell me why Blurryface said something about you two having sex the other day."

"That's not my fault," Spooky shrugged. He poked Blurry's arm, "it's yours."

"I didn't mean to announce it to the entire school, dumbass. That hoe wouldn't get away from you," the red-eyed boy replied. Crimson laughed.

"Yeah, well you did." Spooky sat back, exhaling. The group waited expectantly, and Blurry sat for a second, thinking.

"Fine," he started, "if you nosy-ass people really want to know, I said it because it was true. There's your answer, now fuck off."

"You're not gonna get rid of me that easily, Blurry," Hurricane said. The entire group was attentive, listening silently as both boys' glares intensified when the aqua-haired girl spoke.

"What do you want to hear from us, then?" Spooky asked, clearly aggravated.

"Only a few things. Like why you guys are even together in the first place? You guys hate each o—"

"That's not true," the redhead spat.

"Well, it sure seemed like it," Hurricane said, raising her eyebrows as she looked down at her lunch tray.

"We don’t hate each other, you blind fuck," Blurry continued, "you were just too caught up to notice that we actually liked each other. Again, you know nothing."

"Blurryface. You're acting like you weren't an overdramatic fuck last year that wouldn't speak to us because Spooky set you off on a rampage. Y'all hated each other, how did that end?"

Blurry groaned, "We made up—"

"By fucking?"

"Let me finish!" Blurry yelled. "We just... talked it out. We aren't immature little shits like some of you. Grow up, people can apologize."

"Okay, so you two became friends. Whatever. You guys go from hating each other, shit, sorry, liking each other, then straight to fucking?"

"Obviously not, idiot," Blurryface scoffed. "That's not how it fucking works." He was getting riled up, breaths coming in heavy. The redhead looked pissed, eyes towards the ceiling.

"We were at a party. Shit went down and things just happened. I'm not elaborating. What other lovely and intelligent questions do you have?" Spooky asked, rubbing his hands in his face.

"Who tops?"

The entire group went silent, Blurryface red and Spooky with a look of disgust on his face. Devotee looked with expectancy, Nicotine along with him. Crimson was staring at Hurricane in bewilderment. The two boys kept their mouths shut, Blurry looking down at his phone. Spooky pretended to look interested in whatever the brunet was seeing, when he looked over he saw a black screen.

"You're stupid as all hell, H," the orange girl said. "Have you ever _ seen _Blurry?"

"Yeah, he's got a dominant vibe to him, but you never know, now do you?"

"You fucking idiot!" Crimson laughed. "Take one look at that bitch's stature and size and tell me he tops one more time."

At this point in the conversation was when the brown-eyed boy was caught off guard, but still keeping to himself. Spooky was trying to hold back a laugh as he watched the two girls bicker, partly at the plain immaturity but also at the fact that Crimson had a good point. He took a glance at his boyfriend, who was flustered as he stared straight down, eyes closed. They all were cast in amusement, minus Blurry and Black Tear.

"Just saying, you guys are all fucking oblivious to everything. It's been so goddamn obvious, my God! It's been like this forever!" Black burst out, groaning and leaving the table. “Fuck this, I’m leaving.” The friend group watched her walk out of the cafeteria, swinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"Shit, what's her issue?" Devotee asked. "Did she know or something? Did y'all really let the bitchy new girl in on this but not us?"

"She's pissed, wants to stay out of drama. She saw us once and think she knows shit," Spooky Jim sighed.

"Which she doesn't," Blurry added. "At fucking all."

"I just can't believe went from calling each other jackasses to fucking sucking each other off on the weekends, imagine being that sexually frustrated!" Devotee laughed.

Blurry wanted to yell.

Spooky shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, Blurry is still very much a jackass, but there's always been more than that—"

"That sentence makes me want to puke."

"—and I just happened to fucking see it. And stop assuming this shit is just sex because it's not. I'd advise you all to shut the fuck up, didn't we already have this conversation yesterday?"

Blurryface looked at Spooky then, confused. "Yesterday?" he whispered.

"Your dumbass boyfriend came in here thinking you were on your deathbed yesterday! Started ranting and shit like he always does, but this time he was actually sad and worried and all that, he got really fucking mad at us for talking about you.”

Blurry looked next to him. "I told you not to worry about me, you idiot!"

"That was after the fact, smartass." Despite his tone, Spooky looked down at their clasped hands and gave the other a soft squeeze.

"This is one of the most interesting relationships I have ever seen," Violent Cain mumbled.

"Says you," Blurryface suddenly sneered. "You have two goddamn boyfriends!"

Violent shrugged.

Spooky placed a hand softly on Blurry's thigh from under the table, whispering a quiet, "It's okay, don't worry," into his ear. It did the brunet nothing, and he gave everyone a fed-up look, including his boyfriend, before letting out a noise of frustration and promptly leaving. The redhead sighed, looking as the red-eyed boy stomped off into the hallway.

"Man, what a caring boyfriend, huh, Spooks?" Hurricane teased.

"Cut it with the nickname, you guys are all fucking cunts for talking about this." Spooky stood up as well, angered.

"Use protection once you find him!" Nicotine giggled.

"Go suck a dick, Nicotine."

"He will gladly," Devotee replied.

Spooky left, walking off in the same direction of Blurry.

* * *

Blurry tapped his foot quietly on the floor, watching intently as the redhead next to him drummed on his desk with some pencils.

They were in class doing partner work, Spooky taking the opportunity to sit next to Blurryface for the hour. They weren't getting anything done, much to Spooky's distaste.

"We should work. I don't wanna fail."

"Idiot," Blurryface mumbled, "this is only a work grade. If we don't do it, you're not gonna fail."

"That's what people said in seventh grade," Spooky Jim shot back, eyeing the boy next to him.

"You failed a class in seventh grade?" Blurry raised his eyebrows in question.

"I failed the math exam and the class too. Got held back, and my parents took me to Europe for the entire summer so I couldn't take it then, so I basically just retook the grade." Spooky looked down, embarrassed as he circled an answer. The tanner dropped his pencil.

"You're eighteen?" Blurry asked suddenly, red eyes brightening.

"Not yet," the redhead sighed, "that's in May. You, however, are sixteen, right?"

"Yeah but not for long. My birthday is the twenty-fifth."

"That's in like, a week!" Spooky suddenly said, snapping his head towards the brunet. "You should've told me!"

"My birthday doesn't matter."

"It does now." the brown-eyed boy insisted.

The two were suspended into silence, back to working more on the assignment. Class flew by, and the bell eventually rang. Blurry realized his hand was in Spooky's, which was weird because he didn't remember that happening. He looked down at their connected fingers, unlocking them as he stood up, swinging his bag over his shoulder. The redhead did the same, turning to head out of the class with the brunet following suit.

"Hey, D texted the group chat earlier and asked if we wanted to meet up at the McDonald's after school. You wanna go?" Spooky looked at Blurry expectantly once they were outside, headed to their next class which they fortunately had together.

"Sure," the red-eyed boy muttered, gripping the white straps on his backpack. "I don't want...I don't want to talk about anything though. It's annoying."

"They'll shut up, trust me."

Blurry nodded, holding the door open for the other.

"I also have to take you on a date sometime," the taller mentioned.

"Oh?"

"I know," he smirked, "we can do it on your birthday!"

Blurryface groaned, "You're gonna make a big deal out of this, aren't you?"

"You fuckin' know it." They paused there for a second, staring until Spooky blinked, breaking his gaze and taking his boyfriend's stained black hand and tugging softly. "C'mon, pretty boy. Let's go."

"People heard you call me that, stupid," Blurry murmured, walking slowly next to the redhead.

Spooky laughed, "Yeah, and they also see us holding hands. Oh, and you missed a spot on your neck, but it’s fine. It’s tiny." Quiet.

"I fucking hate you."

The brown-eyed boy only continued to laugh, watching as Blurry's eyes darkened slightly as they walked through the crowded hall.

* * *

"Anyone going to Menace's on Friday for the break party?"

The group was sitting at a corner table in McDonald's. Fries were being shared in the middle, Black Tear eating a salad instead. A few nods came in response. The door opened, and in walked Hurricane and Violent Cain, Blurry and Spooky following behind. They encountered a problem when the table filled, leaving Blurryface standing awkwardly at the end beside Spooky, a frown on his face.

"Sorry, but I'm not sitting in your lap, Spooks. One of you shits is going to have to move over."

"You're no fucking fun," Devotee snapped, Nicotine silently shifting himself so he was somewhat sitting on top of the blue-tinted boy.

"You act like you wouldn't be disgusted if I ended up doing that."

"Don't worry, it's fine." Nicotine shrugged nonchalantly.

Violent Cain and Spooky shifted to make room in absence of Nicotine, allowing Blurry to slide himself into the booth beside his boyfriend who took his hand.

"Aw, I'm kinda disappointed you didn't choose to sit on top of me," Spooky faux frowned, Blurry nudging him in the side.

"In your dreams, asshat."

"You act like you've never sat on him before," Cursed Crimson stated, picking at her nails.

The brunet reddened slightly, groaning. "You act like you and Hurricane don't fuck around every day."

Crimson was silent, Blurryface smiling as a line crossed on the girl's lips.

"Alright, that's enough. Now," Devotee looked towards Violent, Spooky and Blurry, "y'all came in late but there's a thing at Menace's house Friday. You in?"

"Obviously," Violent Cain answered, flicking his long quiff out of his face.

The red-eyed boy looked next to him, shrugging as Spooky looked back. "Sure."

"Did anyone have to do that one chart for Physics?" Black Tear asked suddenly, scrolling through her phone. Nicotine nodded, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, I can send you the answers if you want."

"Cool."

Hurricane groaned. "Spooky, your Snapchat's fucking filled with pictures and videos of Blurry. It's fucking obnoxious."

"I'm not the one who posts the nudes she takes in the school bathrooms," Spooky shot back. "At least my story has something pleasing to look at."

Crimson laughed, "He isn't wrong."

"You put the two of them on your story too!" Hurricane raised her voice, Devotee shushing her.

"Yeah, well it's cute. Plus people love hot gay guys! It's a win-win," Crimson stated, popping a fry in her mouth.

Blurry sighed, shifting further into Spooky's side. "I feel used."

"You are," Devotee deadpanned. Among seeing the red-eyed boy's reaction, he laughed. "I'm joking. You're so funny, Blurry."

"You're not helping," Spooky replied, snarky.

"It's fine, let him be," Blurryface grumbled. Spooky's lips were downturned, eyes unhappy.

* * *

It was cold outside, the brunet sitting close to Spooky on a couch in the brisk moonlight. There was a fire going nearby illuminating the both of them. It was Friday, the two sitting outside in the backyard of Young Menace's rather nice house, The party was average, the same amount of drunk and high teenagers doing stupid shit as any other party. This time, however, Blurry and Spooky were watching unfazed as a guy's dick was sucked by some other girl on a trampoline. So far, it was the most interesting thing of the night.

"No offense, but I would never suck you off on a trampoline," Spooky said quietly, watching hesitantly.

Blurry laughed, head thrown back. "I would hope you wouldn't." Spooky turned to face the boy, amused.

"Your teeth are really fucking crooked, Blur," he said.

"I know," the red-eyed boy shrugged, unbothered. "My dad refused to pay for any braces when I was in elementary school and just forgot from there on out."

"I feel like I learn something new about you every time we talk."

"That's because we don't know all the stupid things about each other." Blurryface replied, looking at the other.

"Well then maybe we should play 20 questions," Spooky suggested. Blurry looked at him, extremely unimpressed. Spooky laughed. "C'mon, it isn't that bad."

"That, Spooks, is just a way for you to get a bunch of sexual shit outta me."

"No," Spooky Jim insisted, "it is not. I won't ask you that stuff. Promise." He held his hand out.

Blurry took it, eyes gleaming. "Okay, fine. Your go, then."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Blue." He looked back in the general direction of the trampoline, sighing.

"Honestly, I'd thought it would be red because of your eyes and everything."

"Is your favorite color brown, then, smartass?" Blurry looked at him, semi annoyed.

"No? It's yellow," Spooky replied, confused.

"You get my point then, fucking idiot," the brunet mumbled under his breath. The other still caught on, rolling his eyes.

"Your turn."

"What's the weirdest dream you've ever had?"

"Once, I had a dream my head exploded after I lost a drum battle. I've had other interesting dreams, but you said I couldn't say any of that stuff so," Spooky blinked, looking down at his hands. Blurry's face heated up.

"That sounds... fun. I once had a dream where some dude got Gold pregnant and she like, gave me the child. I hate babies," Blurry responded.

"That sounds like a nightmare," Spooky agreed. "What's your favorite band?"

"The Neighbourhood. You?"

"Queen." Spooky looked at his boyfriend softly, head tilted. "You never pinned me as the type to like an indie band."

"Well, surprise surprise!" Blurryface let a small grin pass by. "See, you however definitely look the type to like Queen. I do too."

The redhead hummed, looking up slightly as he thought. "Okay, what's your favorite song?"

"Death on Two Legs," the smaller said, "That entire song is just a hellhole of shit talk." There was a split second of quiet as Blurry made eye contact.

"Fuck, you just became so much more attractive because you didn't say We Will Rock You or some shit," Spooky breathed, staring dead into the red eyes that opposed him.

"Wow, thanks," Blurry replied, looking right back at the boy. "What about you? Favorite song?"

"I've gotta be honest, Get Down, Make Love is good, but It's Late is up there too."

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" Blurry deadpanned.

"Not in the slightest," Spooky replied easily before wincing when the brunet hit him on the knee.

"Of course you like the one about sex. Of-fucking-course! You don't like any of the metaphorical, insightful shit, you like the fucking ones about sex. I cannot believe you, you are such a fuckboy," Blurryface laughed almost hysterically, face buried in his hands.

"It's a good song!" the brown-eyed boy argued, "and you cannot say anything, you have a fucking collarbone kink, jackass."

"I do not!"

"I could actually touch your collarbone with my finger and you'd scream. Shut up."

"I would not scream!" Blurry yelled. "You have way too much pride in yourself, Spooks."

The two were cast into silence, staring at each other intensely. Blurry's face was pink, breathing through his nose hotly as the other had the slightest smirk on his lips. The red-eyed boy took pride in how their relationship was, fucked up or not. Huffing once more, the brunet sank slowly into his boyfriend's shoulder, the red-lidded boy tucking an arm around Blurryface's waist, pulling him close.

"I hate you a lot, y'know," the smaller whispered playfully.

"Yeah, I do. Trust me."

In the distance, screams and yelling were heard as people were pushed into a pool, drinks being poured everywhere. Loud but muffled music boomed from inside, adding to the loud atmosphere. The two didn't care. This was, in some insane way, completely okay.


	5. V: Words Speak, Body Shows

The halls were crowded between classes, Blurryface walking at a slower pace as he passed clumps of people to get to his next class. He was tired, eye bags heavy and legs dragging ever so slightly. He wanted to fall and pass out in all honesty. Nights got worse, mornings weren't ever any better.

The brunet saw his group, watching their gazes. Hurricane motioned him to join them. He shook his head. "I gotta go," he said, starting to walk off. Despite his efforts, Blurry was stopped by a pale hand latching onto his arm, and he was spun around to face Spooky. The red-eyed boy groaned, darting his eyes down hurriedly. "What do you want?"

"Hey," was all that came in return.

The brunet narrowed his eyes, the red brightening. "Wh—" Spooky brought his boyfriend's chin up with soft fingers, smiling.

"You're pretty."

Taken aback, he blushed, but shook his head after. Blurry scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Shut the fuck up." He then sighed exhaustedly, shifting on his feet. The redhead smile was replaced with a frown when he saw the tired state of the shorter.

"You good?" Spooky asked with concern, eyes glued on the brunet.

"No, I honestly just wanna fall down and die." Blurryface lamented. The redhead's dark eyes widened, and his hand slid from Blurry's arm down to one of his stained hands slowly. "Calm down, Spooks. I didn't seriously mean that. I'm just really fucking tired," Blurry murmured softly.

"Oh," Spooky's breath hitched, "how much sleep did you get last night, Blur?"

The brunet hummed, "I was working on missed work last night. I didn't get much sleep."

"So if I asked to see your Algebra II work and your essay outline right now, they would be completed?"

Blurryface was silent, averting his eyes once again.

"That's what I thought," Spooky Jim sighed, taking both of the other's hands and giving them a small squeeze. "Do you need to go home? I can take you home."

The red-eyed boy shook his head, "If I miss any more school I might get murdered. I'm so behind." His voice faltered, and the other's eyes saddened at the notion.

The taller nodded. "Just want to make sure you're okay. Can I do anything?"

Blurry shook his head no, eyes closed as he breathed softly. "No. I'm okay." He let go of Spooky's grip, turning. The redhead put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from walking off.

Blurry turned around, confused. Spooky stepped closer, cupping his face and giving him a slow kiss before pulling back. Blurryface kept his eyes closed, opening them when Spooky let go on his cheeks. He stepped back and walked off without any further comments.

* * *

The entire day had been off. Blurryface fell asleep in almost all of his classes, including the ones his friends were in. He was outright exhausted and he honestly didn't know why. He knew it was because he fucked his sleeping schedule up, but this was never anything new. He felt dead. Maybe he made himself sick.

The school day was over, yet he was still making his way down the hall to turn in a project for his English class. Schools were always odd after hours, the halls were empty except for people in clubs or the occasional sports team getting snacks from the vending machine. Blurry somehow enjoyed this, eyes weary as he passed a clump of theatre kids singing softly in the hallway. He hated theatre kids, turning up his earbuds to block out the sound.

His class was at the back of the school, and Blurryface had never felt more uncomfortable walking through that part of the building than he had now, caution tape glued across the door to a girl's bathroom, the smell of metal and heavy alcohol lingering in the hallway. Blurry despised his school, it was rundown and he felt like nobody cared. The feeling was mutual, but there were some days where he wondered if going to a cleaner school would make his experience any better. He didn't think so, especially if it meant he was in a different school with different people, namely without Spooky. Blurry didn't know what he'd do without Spooky. The thought made him dizzy.

His teacher was quiet, dismissing him straight after he left his paper on her desk. Blurry exited the class quickly, eyes growing more and more tired as he walked back. Gold was supposed to pick the brunet up today, but knowing the girl, Blurry knew she probably wouldn't. He'd just walk home, and that was fine. He opened the door to the bathroom, arguably the most unkept one in the school.

He was washing his hands when he heard a shuffle behind him, and Blurryface turned around silently as he looked for the source of the noise. There was nothing, so he turned around and kept his eyes on the sink in front of him. This is, until he heard someone yell a "Hey!" from behind.

This time, he turned around to see an overly muscular guy who wore a frown, clothed in a basketball jersey. If the red-eyed boy wasn't tired, he'd put up a fight. But that was the exact problem. He was pretty sure he knew this guy in middle school.

"Blurryface, didn’t think I’d see you here. Guess we were all right way back when about the whole gay twink thing. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you dating that guy that got assaulted?" His voice was scratchy. Blurry hated him.

"Why do you care?" Blurry sneered tiredly.

"You know, people don't just do that kind of shit. You know you're fucking gross, don't you man?."

"Yeah I do, but why the fuck are you telling me this?" Blurryface backed up slowly, hitting a wall. "Shit," he cursed. The kid moved closer, breath hot and strange near the brunet's face.

"Well you're gay, which is disgusting, and you're also shitting around with someone whose been assaulted. You're absolutely fucked, dude! Think you're so tough and scary, but you're just a little fucking fag aren't you? You probably only wanted a fuck, huh? Well, guess what? I'm not scared of you." the kid hummed. Blurry gulped, closing his eyes. He was about to collapse in the first place, he was too exhausted to try and get out of his situation, so he tried to speak.

"Listen, you don't fucking know me, or him for that matter, so I suggest you get your ass out of this and just let me the fuck—”

He couldn't finish the sentence, the kid across from him shutting him off as Blurry's collar was grabbed and he was pushed forcibly against a wall. He let out a noise of pain, hitting his head and losing his senses, legs giving out from underneath. He felt as if the breath had been knocked out of him, and his vision felt as if it had been shattered. The kid laughed, "God," he grunted, "You twinks are always so damn weak. This is what you get for throwing a punch at me a few years back."

Blurry wanted to yell, he wanted to pick himself up and throw this kid on the floor in his place, that fight was in freshman year for fuck's sake!

Instead, his head continued spinning and the athlete gave the brunet one last little shove before leaving the bathroom.

Blurryface couldn't move, so he just closed his eyes instead.

* * *

Pencil scratches sounded as Spooky completed his lab write up hastily, the sun not too far from setting outside. The paragraph was lengthy, and the redhead deemed it good enough to turn in as he clicked his pen and left it on the table beside him. Placing his physics binder inside of his bookbag, Spooky took the opportunity to lay back in his bed, sighing dramatically as he stretched out his arms.

The thought of sleep brought Blurryface to Spooky's mind. The boy hoped that the brunet was able to get sleep tonight, as a tired (and grumpy) Blurryface wasn't very fun to deal with, especially when he acted like he was practically dead.

Despite what some would conclude, the redhead did really care about his boyfriend, and he enjoyed being in the shorter boy's company, just because of his personality. He was cocky and rude, but so much so that you could put jokes alongside that and have a good time. He also liked the softer side of Blurryface, the deeper version that was basically the deteriorated version of his tough outer shell. Or when he laughed, and suddenly the person that was telling a young kid to get lost a half a second ago was now gone and replaced with someone that could enjoy little bits of life. Blurryface was a unique person, much in contrast to Spooky's pretty basic personality. They'd only been close for a few months, but the brown-eyed boy felt differently. He'd give his world to Blurry if the boy asked, and it was a little worrying but at the end of the day, Spooky couldn't help it.

His phone buzzed beside him, interrupting the brown-eyed boy's train of thought, and he looked at it to see that Devotee was calling him.

"Hello?" Spooky Jim wasn't used to legitimately talking on the phone, the only person he ever talked to on the phone was really his mom.

"Shit, Spooky, it's Blurry, he's—" Devotee's breath was audibly heavy, and the red-haired boy sat up quickly, concerned.

"What? Did something happen?"

"Fuck, he's sitting on the floor like, stunned or some shit and he won't really answer me. He's breathing, but like he just won't get up? I don't know what to do, shit."

"Where are you?" Spooky mumbled, getting out of his bed and slipping some shoes on, Devotee now on speaker.

"I'm at school, I was coming back from detention and he's just in the bathroom against a wall and—"

"Okay, shut up. I'll be there in like, 10 minutes," Spooky grabbed the phone and put it back to his ear, padding downstairs quickly. "Thank you, D."

"Yeah." The call ended. A pit formed in the pale boy's stomach, and all the dread that was bottled up from months ago when Spooky learned about the week was about to be let out. His mind was on autopilot, his entire body started to ache.

Spooky made his way hastily to the garage door. "Mom! I have to go, I'll be back at some point!"

"Where do you think you're going?"

Spooky turned, "I have to take a friend home." The statement wasn't a full lie, but if he told his mom he was making sure his boyfriend wasn't in a coma or something, he'd probably get yelled at to no end. His breathing was accelerated, hat lazily on his head and keys shaking against his fingertips anxiously.

"Oh? Okay, I guess. Get back quickly, please. I'm tired of you being gone all the time." His mother sighed, staring at her son upsettingly.

"Yeah, alright. I have to go!" the boy yelled, opening the door.

"Drive safely."

He was out quickly after the words left his mom's lips, cursing her silently as he rushed to his car for making him that much more late. His brain went from being frank to being completely clouded. Different scenarios came across his train of thought, and they only got worse and worse as he kept on the road. He wished he could scream, he wished he could snap his fingers and be there as soon as possible. Instead he drove with nerve, trying his hardest to take deep breaths.

The school seemed too far away, he felt like he had been driving for an hour by the time he had arrived, but there was no traffic.

"Open the door for me?" Spooky asked over the phone, back on a call again with his friend. Devotee breathed over the line.

"What door are you at?"

"The one that you always smoke by," Spooky replied, looking inside for anyone that could let him in.

"Okay, yeah, I'm not far. Hold on," there was a shuffle, and the redhead could hear Devotee in movement. About a minute later and a few begs from Spooky for the other to hurry, the brown-eyed could see his horned friend appear at the door, pushing it open.

"Where is he?"

"Follow me," Devotee said in a mumble, walking quickly to where the other brunet lay. The two set off at a quick pace, Spooky ahead by a few steps. "Turn down this hall, he's at the end, in the bathroom."

Spooky was at a full sprint now, breath catching at the top of his lungs. He pushed the door open, feeling like he forgot how to breathe as he came closer to Blurry, who was definitely passed out. "Oh, fuck," he cried out to himself. Kneeling down quickly, he looked back to Devotee, who had just caught up. "So you just found him like this? Was someone with him?"

"I was coming back from detention down the hall and y'know, I came in here and I saw him. Only one person was in there with me, but they didn't use the bathroom. He was exactly like this," Devotee knelt down as well, reaching for the brunet's arm.

"Don't touch him," the redhead snapped. holding his hand up.

"Sorry."

Putting his attention back onto Blurry, Spooky sighed, taking a careful hand and checking for a pulse in his wrist. "Blur.." A pulse was evident, and he could see the rise and fall in Blurryface's chest. "C'mon Blurry, wake up," he pleaded. There was still no response, and he shook the brunet's shoulder to try and wake him.

He stirred, which was a good sign. Spooky let out a deep breath as the brunet's eyelashes fluttered slightly. Blurry cursed under his breath, eyes closing again.

"It's okay, Blur. Stay with me," Spooky muttered, a hand on his arm.

"Do we need to call 911?"

"I just wanna know what happened to him," Spooky whispered, "He shouldn't have collapsed on his own. Something happened." He wasn't going to let tears come to his eyes. No, he refused.

"When I was in detention I heard someone, I didn't see who though."

Spooky sat, motionless as he clasped onto his boyfriend's hand, looking down at him. "I don't know what to do, I don't want to hurt him," he told the other shakily.

"Well, he's breathing and he literally just woke up for a bit, so he's really fine. Maybe his body is just really tired? I don't know, I don't—"

"He didn't get any sleep the last few nights," Spooky muttered, He blinked, holding back tears, "his elbows are bruised. Someone did something."

"Fuck, dude," Devotee whispered back, staring at the two boys.

"I need to take him home before someone sees us and tries to put him in a hospital."

"He might need to go to one, though, dude! Are you stupid? He literally just fell back asleep."

"He's breathing normally though, and he's woken up, that's the thing. If we take him, they'll give us a shit ton of medical bills probably, and I don't know if Blurry can handle that." Spooky looked back down, brushing a bit of hair off of the red-eyed boy's forehead. "Will you help me get my car?"

"Of course." Devotee nodded, Spooky rummaging through his jacket pocket and tossing his friend the keys. "Side door, where you came in?"

Spooky nodded. Dev ran out immediately.

The redhead kept his gaze on Blurry, shaking softly as he traced a hand along the slightly-tanner jawline. "C'mon, Blurryface, gotta take you home. You're going to be okay." Spooky Jim knew good and well Blurry wasn't going to respond, he was more so saying it for his own reassurance. He remained silent for a second, half contemplating the best way to hold the brunet. “Blurry, can you hear me?”

“Mhm,” Blurry opened his eyes again. He was about half asleep. Spooky grabbed his hand, hauling him up and throwing an arm over his shoulder

The boy stirred again, making a small noise of discomfort. "Wh..."

"Steady, Blur," Spooky coaxed. "We’re gonna go back to the car and get you home." The redhead choked out the words, heart dripping as he realized how light the other was. "You're so limp," the brown-eyed boy croaked mainly to himself, walking slowly down the hall, keeping Blurry up the best he could. They were deserted, which was good so nobody saw. The door was open for Spooky when he got there, Devotee looking solemnly as they past, Spooky murmuring a small thanks.

They made their way to the parking lot, Devotee running ahead to open yet another door, this time the passenger door of Spooky's car. "You can lay back if you want, okay?" Spooky felt as if he was talking to a wall, even though Blurry was responsive and upright. The taller knew that the boy didn't know where he was.

"Kay," Blurry whispered. His eyes were barely open, body weighted like it was lifeless. It was ghostly, and it made Spooky sick. The redhead carefully helped the shorter boy into the seat. Once Blurry was settled and Spooky fought tears, he turned to face Devotee. "Thank you," he said honestly.

"I know you'd do the same thing if it was Nicotine, so anytime," Devotee nodded. This left Spooky Jim to get into the drivers side of his car, rolling down the window. "And Spooky?"

"Yeah?" the other asked quietly.

"He's going to be alright."

Spooky's breath hitched as a lump formed in his throat. "Yeah, I'll see you."

Devotee waved as the other drove off.

The drive to Blurryface's house was silent, Spooky getting there as fast as he could manage without getting in trouble. He was not about to get shit from some cop. Luckily, the brunet's house was a small five minutes away from the school, so he didn't worry much.

The redhead pulled up to the house, parking lazily on the side of the road, making sure Blurry was okay from beside him, wiped out, curled in the seat.

This was his fault.

Opening the door, the taller slipped out and yanked the back passenger door open. It was a struggle to get Blurry back up, Spooky in fear that he'd hurt him even if he was limp and awake by just a little bit. Spooky wasn’t even going to bother walking him anymore, scooping Blurry up and into his arms bridal style. The boy sighed, muttering something incoherent.

Spooky was able to wrap an arm around the brunet's torso, pulling him to an angle where he could hook his other arm under Blurryface's jean-clad thighs. Fully carrying the barely conscious boy once more, Spooky kicked the door forcefully closed with his leg as best he could.

“Garage,” Blurry mumbled, voice barely audible.

“Good idea,” Spooky replied.

His steps were heavy as they made their way through the open garage and to the door.

Knocking loudly, Spooky waited silently, the cold nipping at his bare neck. He held Blurry closer against his body.

He almost broke down right then and there when Caroline opened the door.

"Someone— some a-at school knocked," Spooky's voice broke, "they knocked him out, he's still conscious though, just sleepy. M'wasn't there, fuck," he blinked back tears, Caroline hurriedly opened the door and let the two in, tucking blonde curls behind her ear.

"Shh, it's okay, he's okay," the woman soothed him, shutting the door once they were in, "take him upstairs, lay him down. It's gonna be okay, he's okay."

Spooky nodded turning to his left and walking up the staircase, the other boy clutched securely against him. His mouth looked dry.

Hovering slightly, the brown-eyed boy softly laid the brunet down on the bed, looking at him for a slight minute before grabbing a blanket from the side of the bed and covering the shorter boy for warmth.

"Spooky," Blurry mumbled. He blinked, but his eyes weren't any close to fully opening when he did so. He sounded dead.

"I'm right here," the other whispered. He was going to cry It was so much.

Sitting beside him on the bed, Spooky sighed brokenly, gazing at Blurry.

He sniffed when he heard a slight knock, the redhead looking over to see Caroline standing in the doorway. "Hey, can we talk?" Her voice was soft.

Spooky nodded, standing up and meeting the blonde outside of the room. He was immediately pulled into a hug, trying his hardest not to cry.

"Blurry's going to be okay, alright? Everything's going to be okay," the mother whispered delicately, pulling back after a while. "Lets go downstairs, I can get you a glass of water."

"O-okay."

Once they were downstairs, a small glass of cold water in Spooky's pale hands, Caroline sat across from him.

"He's been really tired today, it was—it was so weird. He didn't want to be around anyone, or anything. He was like, dead. I offered to drive him home, but he said he had to go get his e-essay. and then," he breathed, "I went home, started working, and our friend called me and said he was—" Spooky was broken at this point, voice scratched and shoulders heaved. "Said he was like, passed out on the floor of the bathroom. We think someone like, hit him or something. God, I promised him that nothing would happen to him after everyone found out, I feel like I failed.”

"You can’t prevent everything, I promise it’s fine. He just needs rest, it's okay." Caroline was silent. "Thank you, Spooky."

"You're welcome—"

"No, I mean it," Caroline looked off into the distance. "Blurry has been happier lately, he's never like that. He's had to come to terms with stuff, and you're honestly moving very fast, it's all very sudden, but I'm glad that you're able to care for him. He really needs something like this, even if you two weren't together, and he has for a long time. He's been so caught up in his own little world and he thinks he can't trust anyone, but now you're here and that's all slowly changing and it makes me so happy to see him actually be happier himself."

"I'm so afraid of losing him," Spooky muttered, "I can't lose him. He—he's too good for that."

"I know," Caroline smiled sadly. "He'll be okay, I promise. He’s just sleeping."

"What if he isn't though?"

"Spooky, listen to me. He's going to be alright. Give him time, okay? Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you though." The brown-eyed boy heaved.

"Alright. I'll leave you to it then. Make yourself at home, and call me if you need anything alright?"

"Thank you ma'am."

"Don't sweat the formal stuff, Spooky. Caroline's just fine," she smiled at him, getting up and going back into her room near the kitchen.

Spooky stood up, drinking the last of the water and going back upstairs, where Blurry was still out, laid soundly under the blanket.

Going to the other side of the bed, Spooky climbed in, shifting himself to where he was next to his boyfriend, arm draped around the other's chest. He tried sleeping, but it was no use, as he kept waking up anxiously. He opted to rest his eyes. Eventually he slept, because an hour later he woke up to a small breath next to him. Looking at the other with wide eyes, he calmed when he saw the brunet's red eyes were still closed, and he haven't moved. It seemed so serene and peaceful to watch Blurryface sleep, eyes gently closed and face soft, but it was so sickening. He was limp, unmoving, responding only with a calm heartbeat and a small sleeping noise or two. Spooky felt sick to his stomach while watching the other.

It took another hour for anything else to happen, Spooky waiting rather painfully. He inhaled, somewhat surprised when Blurry moved ever so subtly. He kept his eyes down, sighing heavily as relief washed over him. Blurry was still here with him, a little more so than before when he wasn't moving. There was another shift, and this time Spooky looked up in dead silence.

"Fuck." It was quiet, the whisper barely slipping past. Blurry turned his head.

"Blurry." The redhead's voice was a strain, the boy pulling the other into a sort of hug, eyes blown wide.

"How did I get here?" the brunet questioned in a small voice.

"I got you here, fuck, you're awake. Like, actually." Spooky pulled back, breath slow as he searched Blurry's eyes for any sign of discomfort.

"Yeah, I'm awake, it’s okay." The two were cast into relief and silence. "Yeah, we walked through the school or something and...did you drive me home?"

"You don't remember?"

Blurry shook his head. "It’s hazy. I remember some things, but I was pretty much asleep."

"Are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere?"

"My elbows are sore, so are my shoulders, m'throat feels dry, still kinda tired," Blurryface replied, blinking slowly.

Spooky hummed, cupping Blurry's jaw, "I'm gonna get you some water, okay?"

The other nodded, red eyes bright as he watched the redhead get out of bed, leaving the boy alone to groan frustratingly as he covered his face.

Downstairs, there was a small clank as a cup hit the countertop, Turning, the brown-eyed boy watched as water filled the glass from the refrigerator. Blurry was laying up there miserable, and the most he could do was get him a lousy glass of water, and this should've never even happened in the first place. He checked the time. It had been easily almost 3 hours. 6 PM. Yeah, his mom was going to murder him.

Spooky was a wreck.

Running back up the stairs, the pale boy looked down, reviving his posture and forcing himself to not look dead. Entering the room, Spooky looked straight at Blurry, who was looking right back, eyes rather dull.

"How're you holding up, pretty boy?" Spooky handed the brunet the water. Blurry rolled his eyes.

"It's been like, 2 minutes since you last saw me, stupid." Blurry shot back.

"A lot can happen in two minutes, stupid." The taller pulled the chair from the desk nearer towards the bed, sitting down.

Blurry sipped the water slowly, "How long have I been out?"

"Almost three hours," Spooky responded quietly.

"Fuck, and you've been here throughout that?" Blurry's eyes stared straight ahead of him, wide.

"Yep. But you've been somewhat responsive, it's okay."

"Shit, Spooks." He went silent. "How did you find me?"

"I didn't, Devotee did. He called me."

Spooky watched as tears brimmed Blurryface's eyes, the brunet almost choking on air.

"What happened earlier, Blurry?" It was the quietest question.

"I was in the bathroom. Some guy, h-he came up to me. Said I deserved to die, said I was—shit—said I was a fag and that I needed to stop being around you and that I just wanted you for sex or something, " there was a gasp, Blurry struggling to breathe. "I tried to tell him off, I was too tired to fight, he—he pushed me down. I hit the floor—" It was almost like Blurryface was crying, but no tears came. He was just struggling to breathe. The redhead ached at the sight, anger fueling inside him along with an urge to never leave the brunet's side.

"Blur, hey," he whispered, now kneeling beside the bed. Their faces were close, hand clasped in another.

"—and I swear, Spooky I'm not using you or doing anything, I would never want you for just... that, I promise you I would never, you gotta believe me—"

"Blurry, it's okay, I know that's not what you're doing, neither am I," the other reassured the scared boy, breaths shared as Spooky's head was angled towards Blurryface's stained neck. "I'm just glad you're okay. That's all that matters right now. I'm glad that douche didn't give you a concussion, I don’t wanna lose you now." He pressed a kiss to the brunet's forehead, lips grazing for a moment afterwards. They met eyes again. "I have to go, my mom is waiting." He turned, standing up.

"Okay," Blurry whispered. He sat up slightly, somewhat surprising the taller. Kicking the blanket off and turning himself around, he sighed. "I should probably go talk to Caroline."

"Oh, yeah," Spooky turned slightly from where he stood. "I talked to her earlier, so she knows about it all. Um," he hesitated, "Bye, Blurry."

"I figured as much. Bye." Blurry sat up and gulped, watching as Spooky walked away. "Wait, Spooks—"

The redhead turned around, watching Blurry's almost sharp gaze on him. No other words needed to be said, Spooky making his way a few steps back to the brunet. Latching his hands on to the red-eyed boy's waist, he pressed a long kiss to Blurryface's pinked lips. Blurry breathed in heavily, gaining height as he was lifted slightly along with the push of his toes, kissing back forcefully.

Spooky could feel his boyfriend's hot tears escaping him, only hugging him closer.

They broke apart, heads pressed against each other's and noses touching.

"Thank you, Spooky." Blurryface whispered, eyes watery as he breathed.

"No need to thank me, B," the other grinned shortly, biting his lip. "C'ya later, pretty boy."

Blurryface huffed slightly at the nickname, a crooked smile on his lips. "Bye, idiot."

With one last small kiss, Spooky left, feet thumping down the stairs.

At the foot of the staircase, Caroline was standing nearby. "I'm assuming he's awake?"

Smiling, Spooky Jim nodded, "Yeah. He's still tired, his elbows are bruised, so he's sore there. But he's okay, looks like."

"What'd I tell you?" Caroline returned the smile.

"Yeah," he paused, "I have to get going, my mom is waiting back at my house, um, thank you for helping and all."

"No," Caroline said, "thank you. For everything. You're a good kid, Spooky." She walked over, opening the door for the boy. "Have a good night, okay?"

"You too." Waving shortly, Spooky left.

He didn't say anything beforehand, in spite of Blurry's state and for his own sake, but Spooky wasn't going to let whoever hurt Blurryface away like that. He would kill someone if he had to.

* * *

Pulling the red beanie on and grabbing his bag, Blurry ran down the stairs quickly, waving bye to his stepmother before heading out the front door. Spooky's car was running outside on the curb, the redhead watching as Blurryface walked over, opening the door and sliding in. He dropped his bag to his feet.

"Morning, asshole," Spooky greeted teasingly. Blurry flicked him off in response, scoffing.

"Hello to you too, shitbag."

"I've gotta admit, i've never heard that one before, Blur."

"Fuck off."

Neither of the boys were morning people in any way, so if they ever did communicate, it was usually by insulting each other until they both just decided to shut up. The drive was silent, an alternative radio playing in place of their voices.

"Did you get sleep?" Spooky quipped.

"Yeah, I'm still tired, but I also chugged a Red Bull at like, 6 AM this morning," the brunet replied airily, staring out the window.

"Of course you did," Spooky rolled his eyes.

"Why exactly did you pick me up today?"

"Because you got harassed yesterday and I don't want that to happen again," the redhead stated plainly. Blurry groaned slightly.

"Oh my God, it's not going to happen again," the brunet insisted, ashy black hand coming into contact with his face. "The only reason that I didn't punch back was because I felt like I was dying."

"Well, Blurry, it really fucking sucks to see your fucking boyfriend next to dead while you contemplate calling 911." Spooky shot back. "And I don't know about you, but I really don't want you to die or anything. I'm not going to fucking lose you."

"You're not going to lose me," Blurry replied sharply. "I was breathing too, so I'm definitely not going to die."

"Good." Spooky turned into the school parking lot, settling for the back of the parking lot as he stopped the car, turning the engine off. "Your birthday is in a few days."

"You still have something planned?"

"Obviously," Spooky kept his brown eyes on the red that opposed him, "I have multiple things planned."

"Should I be scared?" Blurry raised his eyebrows.

"Not in the slightest." the other replied easily.

The two made it into the school, walking straight over to Devotee, Violent Cain and Nicotine. The three were chatting in the corner, Nicotine laughing.

"Holy fuck, Blurry!" Devotee exclaimed immediately, looking at the brunet. "You good?"

Blurry nodded, "Yeah, I think so."

Spooky tensed when Devotee clapped Blurryface's shoulder.

"I'm glad, you scared the fuck outta us."

Violent and Nicotine stood by quietly, eyes kept on Blurry. Spooky stood close. The bell rang, and the pair decided to go ahead and leave, though neither wanted to go to class. They kept their hands clasped together, something that usually didn't happen.

Blurryface froze.

Spooky took notice of this, looking at him with concern. "Okay?"

Red eyes were slanted to someone across the hall. "That's—"

Spooky's mouth opened in realization, and in a split second, he was letting go of Blurry's hand and furiously snapping his head in the direction of the student. "Stay here," he told him simply.

"You fucking idiot, no!" Blurry argued. "If someone catches you, you'll be suspended!"

"Calm down jackass, I’m not going to strangle him.”

Blurry winced, reaching to hold the brown-eyed boy back, but it was no use. He was already walking over to the boy, who was busy talking to a girl in the sophomore class. Blurryface scrunched his nose in distaste immediately.

Spooky's face was close and threatening to the male, height slightly above the unknown student. After some incoherent threats that Blurry heard above other things, the guy stepped back in defense, leaving Spooky to walk back promptly to his boyfriend. The athlete dragged the girl off, who started questioning him.

"What the hell did you say?" the red-eyed boy hissed, dragging the redhead further down the hall.

"I told him to keep his ass out of your business and also to never lay a finger on you again because either you or I would beat his sorry ass to hell and it would probably be me first, and it wouldn’t be pretty. " Spooky muttered towards his boyfriend. Blurry shivered.

"Protective ass," he breathed.

"Of course I am," the other pulled the brunet closer. "You don't deserve the shit you get, Blur. The least I can do is threaten people to get off your back.

"I think you forget that we’re both absolute assholes and probably do deserve all the shot we get."

"Correct me if I'm mistaken, but that's what we do best, Blurryface."

"Obviously," the brunet gave him a smile.

* * *

"Hey mom, can I have the keys to the lake house for the weekend?"

"What?" the redhead's mom replied back incredulously, "Absolutely not! I know what you want to do with it—"

"You really don't."

"—you're not going to throw a party over the weekend and trash that place. That is not acceptable."

"I literally want to have one person over," Spooky deadpanned.

"You're not fooling me, sweetheart."

"Mom, I swear, I wouldn't ever throw a party, I'm not that dumb. I just want to have one person over. For two days."

"And why can't you just have this friend over here?"

"Because everyone will be home and I don't want to have to deal with that? And it's his birthday."

"Uh huh," she mumbled back. "Midnight, get down here!"

"Okay!" came a female voice. Spooky Jim groaned, looking up at the ceiling as his shorter mother folded her arms.

The girl appeared, her natural red hair cascading down her shoulders, dots lining along her face. "Yeah, Mom?"

"I'll pay you twenty bucks if you tell me what your brother over here wants to do with the lake house. And I want an honest answer." The mother glared at her daughter, who looked confused.

"He's too much of an uh...a-hole to throw a successful party, so I honestly have no clue. He goes to parties, Mom. Doesn't host 'em." Midnight stared for a second, eyes widening as she looked at her brother, "Oh, is this about—"

"It's his boyfriend's birthday this weekend!" Spooky's brother interjected, walking into the kitchen where the two other kids stood.

The redhead fumed, sending a death glare to his brother. T only shrugged.

"Excuse me? Boyfriend?"

Spooky said nothing.

"Yeah," T smirked, "it's that Blurryface kid he's had over a few times. The one with the red eyes."

The teenager's mother narrowed her eyes, mumbling a soft "Leave," to her other children before turning to face her eldest son. The two teenagers walked off, T laughing. "Sit down," she sighed.

"Yes, ma'am." The redhead took a seat at the kitchen table across from his mother, who had a hand curled under her chin.

"Is your brother lying?"

"No, ma'am."

"Is this where you've been for the past month? Hanging around with this 'boyfriend' of yours?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"How long has this been going on, Spooky?" the woman groaned quietly, staring at her deadbeat son who looked like he has seen a ghost.

"A bit," the brown-eyed boy admitted. He gulped. "Please don't tell Dad."

"I won't, but I would like to know why you didn't tell me."

"I didn't think you'd like it." Spooky darted his eyes down. "I didn't tell you beforehand, it'd be awkward. You don't...it doesn't seem like you like him anyways."

"So…” The twinge in her voice made Spooky cringe. “You’re gay now?”

Spooky gulped. “I’ve been like that for a while, Mom. Just didn’t tell anyone.”

“I mean, I find it really odd that you're not with a girl instead, but if you're happy, I guess that's okay. I don't get it though. It's not a good influence on anyone, especially your father with his community. And you know we don’t support it."

"Yeah," Spooky whispered awkwardly. "Sorry."

"It's okay, but just keep your um," she hesitated, "relationship out of our faces. And don't force it on to your siblings. And you know what will happen if your dad finds out about this."

"That won't be a problem, ma'am," Spooky nodded, partly wanting to punch his mother across the face. Imagine being this subtly homophobic. In the back of his mind, he knew it could be much, much worse. But still! He was half tempted to invite Blurry over and make out with him right in front of her face.

He wasn't going to do that.

"So, can I have the keys or not?" he finally asked.

"Yeah, if it keeps you and whatever his name is out of here, but if you trash the house in any way, I'm telling your father everything. And you know he sure as hell won't like it," the haggard brunette replied, sharp eyes directed at her son.

"We won't trash it, promise. Thank you, Mom. Also for not yelling at me about...the thing."

"You kids would call the police on me if I kicked you out or anything," she nodded, sending a sickly smile to the pale boy, giving him a half hug. The boy detached himself quickly. "Keep to yourself this weekend, and if I find anything dirty at that house I will not hesitate to terminate this. I'm only doing this because we know how your father is. Get out, I have to clean the kitchen."

Conversation over.

Easy enough...right?

* * *

Blurry sat at his kitchen table, confused as Caroline brought out a paper bag and set it in front of him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's your birthday, B. I had to get you something," Caroline replied, smiling. Her eyes were soft.

Blurry looked up at her, "You didn't have to."

The blonde only continued smiling, ruffling the brunet's hair playfully. "Open it." The boy nodded, scoffing slightly as he put a hand over his hair in defense.

Taking the bag, Blurryface looked inside, pulling out a decently small box. It was a black polaroid camera. He smiled, assessing the box in his hands. "Thank you," he breathed. The bag also held a small package of film. His family had never done much for his birthday at all. They weren't exactly low living, just ignorant and uncaring about birthdays, but somehow, ever since Caroline came into the picture, Blurry had always gotten a present or something on the day. Even if it was the littlest of things, he was still appreciative.

"It's not much, but I thought It'd give you something to do, y'know? You can take pictures of things and have memories to look back on. I dunno."

"It's nice, thank you, Caroline." Blurry was genuine, abruptly getting up to give the blonde a hug. She gasped slightly in surprise, chuckling afterward. The boy pulled away, putting the camera back into the brown bag and heading back up to his room.

"Tell me if you have plans," Caroline called out.

"Okay!" Blurry replied in a yell. His phone vibrated from his back pocket, Blurry grinning upon seeing the message

**spooks**  
happy birthday to my favorite asshole!!!!!  
be ready by 12, dress nice and pack an overnight bag

**pretty boy**  
jesus christ spooks what the fuck are you doing

**spooks**  
you'll find out

Upon receiving the text, Blurry groaned, laying back against his bed. It was 11 AM.

He took a shower, washing his hair quickly, and taking extra time to bathe more (He wasn't going to be too nasty). He watched slowly as the water pooled at his feet, the ink on his arms fading as he scrubbed until it was gone. He contemplated what to wear once he was out, so the brunet opted for a long sleeve button down as usual, black jeans and some short, tight laced black boots that were more "formal", or so he thought. It didn't take long for him to finish getting ready, brushing his teeth and finger combing through his hair easily. He looked himself in the full length mirror that stood in front of the bed, The red-eyed boy decided he looked okay.

Blurry hummed, taking a seat on his bed and taking the camera out of the paper bag Caroline gave him. He took it out of the box, eyeing the sleek black lens before popping the back open and putting the two batteries in, along with the film container. He fooled around with the settings, eventually deciding to stick his legs out and take a picture. The camera flashed as he clicked the button, and a few seconds later he was watching slowly as the white-framed photo developed in his fingers. A picture of his legs and boots appeared, the background dark.

Idling, he swiped lazily through Snapchat. He sent out streaks, a sick feeling rippling through him when he opened a suggestive text from some girl. At this point, they had to be dares. He blocked her. Blurry looked through random stories and he paused when he saw a picture of himself on Hurricane's story, captioned with "happy birthday to this dick <33". Blurry chuckled. The picture was of him somewhere, probably a party, giving the camera a middle finger with his eyes narrowed slightly. Hurricane definitely chose that one with the intent to piss him off. He was amused.

The boy didn't know what to do for the next ten minutes, so he messed around on his phone, checking himself in the camera. The marks on his neck had faded, and his eyes looked tired still even though he got decent amounts of sleep. Blurryface sighed. The rest of the time droned on slowly, the brunet eventually telling Caroline that he'd be out until tomorrow. It didn't come as a surprise, the blonde nodding with a grin on her face. He knew she'd assumed he'd be gone, although Blurry hadn't been social on his birthday in years. It was different now.

Back upstairs, he got a small black duffel bag and threw an array of things in there, including sweatpants and an extra change of clothes, a toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, a hair comb and other necessities. He also decided he would pack his camera because why the hell not.

**spooks**  
i'm here

**pretty boy**  
you're two minutes late.

**spooks**  
oh shut up

**pretty boy**  
you can't make me

**spooks**  
yes i can.  
now get out here i'm lonely

**pretty boy**  
fucking loser

The brunet laughed to himself as he zipped the relatively small bag, carrying it with him and out of his room. He told Caroline goodbye with a half hug, the blonde wishing him happy birthday once more before Blurryface let go. Eventually, his dad passed, Blurry about to open the foot before he was stopped.

"Happy birthday, kid."

Blurry sighed, not responding. His hand was on the doorknob.

"Where're you going?"

Blurryface gave him a look, shaking his head slightly as he looked down to his feet. Caroline spoke up quickly.

"His friend is taking him somewhere for his birthday overnight." The man looked at the blonde, narrowing his eyes.

"Do you really believe that?" The man flicked his eyes over to his wife, "Or is he going to get some girl pregnant? I'm not stupid, damnit, I know what you kids get up to these days."

Blurryface almost choked on air, glaring at his father. "No, that's fucking disgusting."

"He's not going to do that, calm down, V. Let him go, yeah?" Caroline rested her hand on the man's arm, and he was no longer tense, un-curling his fingers.

"Don't get arrested, you hear? You've caused enough damage."

"Yeah, I won't," the brunet grumbled in response, swinging the door open and closing it behind him.

Spooky's car was parked on the side of the road, Blurryface walking up and opening the back door to set his bag in the backseat. Once that was settled, the red-eyed boy slid in the passenger seat, smiling subtly.

"Happy birthday, pretty boy," the redhead greeted. a sly grin on his face as he looked at the shorter.

"Thank you, Spooks."

"No retaliation?" Spooky inquired, eyes narrow as the brunet shrugged.

"Not right now, no. My dad thought I was going to knock up some girl." Blurry responded. Spooky laughed, head thrown back as they became quiet.

They met gazes momentarily, the brunet eyeing his boyfriend up and down. Spooky was dressed nicely, a black dress shirt with a red stripe down the center fitted nicely onto him, paired with black jeans like Blurry's own and what looked to be a nice pair of red Vans. His hair was somewhat straighter today, the red locks still falling to the right side of the taller's face. He looked well put together. He looked good.

If Blurry was overdramatic, he’d be drooling right about now.

It seemed that the taller had been thinking the same, smirking. "You look good today," he said. In sync.

"You do too," Blurryface muttered, a blush creeping at the compliment. Their stares shifted, silence overcoming both. The brunet cleared his throat.

"We should get going."

"Yeah."

They left, and the drive was mostly silent, a classic rock radio playing to fill the lack of conversation. There was a definite sense of awkwardness in the atmosphere, but it was cut off when Blurry spoke again.

"So why did we have to dress nice again?"

The other smiled, glancing to his right for a split second to meet red eyes. "It's your birthday. I'm taking you somewhere nice. Not too fancy, but a definite step up from fast food," he said.

A sense of something similar to joy washed over Blurryface, his lips forming a small grin. "This is that date you were talking about, isn't it?"

"Sure is," reaffirmed Spooky.

"This is going to be interesting," Blurry said as the redhead turned onto the highway.

* * *

The restaurant was decently sized and upscale, waiters and waitresses dressed nicely. Tables were placed generously against a bar, some spreading across the floor. Blurry already felt overwhelmed

"You said it wasn't too fancy," Blurry mumbled as they were seated. Spooky only smiled, taking a seat across from the brunet.

"I may have lied a tad bit. It's not the most extravagant like a steakhouse though."

"But it's still really nice! Is this like, a regular for you?" Blurryface asked in a quiet voice, taken aback.

"I come here on occasion, yeah," the other replied casually. The brunet sighed in defeat, looking around as Spooky Jim giggled at Blurry's state. "You act as if you've never been places other than McDonald's."

"It's because I haven't really," Blurry whispered. "I'm not rich, and my family doesn't give a sh—"

Spooky shushed him, "Well I do. So, enjoy it, this will probably be the best lunch you've ever had."

"Okay," said Blurry, feigning nervousness.

"You'll like it, promise."

A waitress eventually came, and both boys placed their drink orders. The menu wasn't long, one side listing food orders and the other listing beverage options, both alcoholic and not. The menu options were elaborate, the food coming with many seasonings and sides alike. Needless to say, the brunet was probably unprepared for this venture. "I don't know what half of this is," he said.

"I usually get the club sandwich, it's their least elaborate option," The brown-eyed boy supplied. "It comes with mac and cheese too, so that's a plus."

"That sounds like so much, my God!" Blurry exclaimed quietly. The redhead giggled quietly, amused.

"It's really not, and like I said, it's the simplest thing they have, but it's so good."

That's what the two ended up ordering, the waiter handing them their food a good time after they had ordered. Blurryface stared at it for a moment. "The last time I saw nice food was when I was like six..how are you even—"

"Don't worry about it, Blur," said Spooky quietly, giggling as he watched his boyfriend slowly pick up the fork and stab, literally stab, through the macaroni that was in front of him. His hair was fluffier and curlier than usual today. Blurry caught him staring.

"What—what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Spooky blinked, biting his lip as Blurry met his gaze in anticipation. "You're just so," he paused, searching for the word. "intriguing."

"Intriguing, huh?" Blurry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I couldn't find a word."

"Good job," Blurry said sarcastically, smiling ever so slightly as he took a bite of his food. He hummed, closing his eyes. "Shit, I take back everything bad I've ever said about you, this food is actually God."

"Look at that, I was right!" the redhead said, faux surprised.

"Shut up," replied the brunet, swallowing his food.

The date continued on like that, seemingly awkward moments shared as small talk was made and playful insults were thrown one too many times to be counted as normal. They didn't order dessert, as Spooky insisted they go for ice cream at 1 AM later. "It's more fun that way," he explained. A nod of agreement, and then they were off again, blasting music from the car as obnoxiously as they could. Blurry laughed at his boyfriend's lame attempts at lip-syncing to The Neighbourhood, pink with laughter as he threw his head back.

"Those aren't the lyrics, you moron!" he gasped in between laughs. Spooky Jim giggled, casting the quickest glance at the brunet's state. The boy's face was gleeful, carefree and light. This was a state he was rarely in.

Surprisingly enough, despite seemingly spending every waking second around each other, the both of them hadn't had this exclusivity with each other in a setting like this. They were always separate or with friends, the times they were alone with each other were spent with physical affection or a darker mood. This was relaxed, they had all day long to be like this. The redhead barely ever got to witness Blurryface in a state like this, and it was refreshing. The way his eyes would squint, bright red, or the way his dimple would deepen when he grinned. His lips and cheeks were pink, voice slightly happier. The redhead could spend the rest of his life with Blurry and never get bored. Spooky had to stop himself from saying the only thing that came to mind in the rush. In replacement, he just shook his head and smiled.

"Where exactly are we going now?" Blurryface asked once he had calmed. Spooky kept his eyes on the road, holding up the keys to his parent's property. Blurry was in confusion. "Oh?"

"Lake house. I have it for a few days."

"Shit, you're even better off than I thought," Blurry mumbled: The taller only grinned.

"Yeah, that just means I get to treat you a lot. Today is one of those days."

"Your parents don't," the brunet hesitated, "get upset that you do all of this? If I was rich, my parents would go batshit."

"As long as I have good grades and don't get caught having sex, I'm all good. My parents gave up on me a while ago," Spooky explained, shrugging.

"That sounds too unrealistic, damn."

"Blur, your stepmom, I'm 500 percent sure, is an angel from heaven. You can't say anything about parents being unrealistic." That kept Blurry silent. Five songs and five more horrible lip-syncing sessions (and laughing) later, the redhead pulled up to the house, the lake clear and visible, the neighbors far away. The brunet sat for a moment, taking a look at the house before turning.

"C'mon," Spooky said, "the lake is somewhat decent."

"_Somewhat_? Spooky, it’s only a little above freezing right now."

The sun was cast overhead, the late afternoon putting it low before it set. They sat on the edge of a dock, looking out at their view. The lake was pretty.

"Why are we outside again?" Blurry asked, looking at his feet.

"Because why not? We spend all of our time inside."

"Yeah, well it's also the end of November."

Spooky only shook his head, playfully pulling Blurry closer towards him so they were now pressed against the other. "You warm now?"

Blurry hummed, "You're going to get me sick."

"Maybe," the redhead mumbled, nuzzling his nose in Blurryface's stained neck. "You'll be fine."

The brunet stared straight ahead as Spooky rested his head into his neck, the boy's mind wandering aimlessly until his mind settled on a string of funny videos. This caused him to laugh suddenly, face breaking into a grin. He could feel the redhead grinning against him.

"What's so funny?"

"Just, this video,” Blurry mumbled, bursting out into more giggles.

"What? Like a Vine?" Spooky faced him, causing the shorter to crane his neck slightly from laughter.

"No, not a Vine. Just this stupid ass video I saw the other day," Blurry replied, "I have it saved, I’ll show it to you later.”

The redhead smiled. Blurry’s cheeks were pink from laughter, eyes bright. Spooky really could look at Blurry forever, or listen to his laugh or watch how his lips move as he talks. God, he was obsessed with the brunet, a surge of emotion coursing through his heart before he pulled Blurry back into his side. Close. A brisk wind passed that caused Blurry to shiver, bringing his feet closer to his knees. Spooky Jim kept notice of this, clearing his throat. "Okay, so maybe it is really cold, and we are actually insane for being out here."

"We were already insane, dumbass," Blurry mumbled into Spooky's chest where he was resting his head. "But yeah, my feet are gonna fucking fall off.”

"Right." Spooky sat up slightly, "So, let's get warmed up a little then we can think about dinner?"

"You sound disgusting," Blurryface snorted as he stood up, only receiving a roll of the taller's brown eyes in response.

'I'm buying you food, you fool."

"Shit, you're right," the other muttered, almost sarcastically. They walked towards the house hand in hand. It was 38 degrees, and Blurryface was 99 percent sure his feet were going to freeze and die out.

Once inside, the pair sat down lazily on the expansive white rug that lay in front of the gas fireplace, which was recently turned on by the redhead. ("Thank God this fireplace is gas operated, if it wasn't, I'd probably burn the fucking house down," and the response, "You are not going to be a good adult"). They got cuddled up, Blurryface's ashy fingers finding their way to his boyfriend's bright red curls.

"So there's a small pizza place down the road, I was thinking we could just go there since it's exceptionally late and we had a nice lunch, right? By the time we're done, it'll be like, 10 and then we can go and get ice cream because why the fuck not," Spooky planned out, the fire illuminating the red around his eyes.

"You're so weird, you have every little thing planned out," Blurry whispered.

"Not everything," Spooky reasoned. "That's the plan unless you wanna sit around on your ass for the rest of the night and order Chinese." He quieted, "That would be such a waste of your great look right now, though."

"If you insist," The red-eyed boy sighed dramatically, still playing with the paler's hair. "I did take some extra time today with my hair. Really living out the whole gay thing."

Spooky laughed. "Really though, I like the curly thing going on. It looks good."

"Thank you."

* * *

The restaurant wasn't crowded in the slightest when they arrived. It wasn't really a surprise. Three employees were behind the counter while two girls sat in a booth in the middle, giggling. Blurry and Spooky arrived quietly, hand in hand as they took a menu and a seat in the far corner of the joint. They ordered quietly too, and for whatever reason, it began to turn into a time for Blurry's brain to go fuck all and mess everything up.

It hit him hard, a sudden pang in his chest as he watched Spooky stare at him, a gaze that sent him spiraling.

It was his birthday, and he was on a date with his boyfriend.

His _boyfriend_. Who he hadn't confessed to yet. Why hadn't he? Was he waiting for something to happen?

Was he waiting for the other to say something first?

Blurry's eyes widened as they became bright and alarming. "You okay, Blur?" Spooky had asked. The brunet only nodded, eyes unmoving as he swallowed. Their pizza arrived, and they ate, only making mere small talk during that time. Blurryface only displayed clear emotion as he blushed when Spooky complimented him. The brown-eyed boy was genuine, good at making sure the brunet didn't get too lost. He was too good for the other.

Blurryface was absolutely fucked.

His mind ran 500 miles a minute if not faster. What was going to happen to this?

Was it moving too fast?

Why was Spooky putting in _so_ _much_ effort only to leave Blurry with no words? Why didn't he say anything?

Was he meaning to play with the brunet like this? Should Blurryface be worried?

Why the hell hadn't Spooky decided he was over this already? It wasn’t really supposed to happen like this, right?

Why hadn't he left if he isn't going to say anything?

Blurryface was insane. Why was he dating someone in the first place? Why was he in love with a person? Why was he letting himself fall like this?

Why couldn't he _say_ anything?

* * *

It was silent as they walked to the car, silent as they got in. Silent as they drove down the small road, silent as Spooky turned the radio off completely. Blurry’s stomach dropped.

He knew.

"What happened, Blurryface?"

No reply.

A sigh. "Talk to me, please, Blurry. I know something's wrong."

No words came out when the brunet tried to speak. He wanted to scream. The lack of words only added to Spooky's growing frustration, but the brunet only looked ahead. The taller rolled his eyes.

"What the hell, Blur, I need to know if something's wrong!" the redhead eventually yelled, causing the shorter to flinch. "What were you thinking about in there? You're fine one second then the next you act like you're fucking dead? What’s wrong?"

"Why?" It was small, quiet. His voice sounded broken.

"What?" Spooky snapped, looked over to his boyfriend, who looked like he was about to die.

"Why?!" the red-eyed boy cried out a little louder, looking straight ahead as the other turned onto the road leading to their residence for the night.

"Why what, Blurry? What's wrong?!" Spooky’s temper was being knocked down little by little as Blurryface suddenly scoffed. The redhead made a sharp turn onto the driveway, a little too sharp, and turned the car off. He turned over, seat squeaking slightly as he did so. "What the fuck is wrong? What happened?" He rolled his eyes when he was only faced with more quiet. "Talk to me, please!" he pleaded, quieting himself.

Blurryface bit his lip, swallowing. His eyes were bright, glowing and what seemed like angry. He was about to lose it.

"Bl—"

"Why haven't you left me yet?" questioned Blurry. His voice was loud, the boy snapping his head quickly to the other. His breath was heavy and he sounded shaky. The air was tense, their faces close. Spooky immediately retreated, putting his hands in his face as he groaned.

"Oh my _God_, Blur—"

"Let me talk!" Blurry snapped. "Why the fuck are you still here? Why is this still happening? Why the fuck do you like me, you could do so much better! You could get someone who isn't crazy or someone who could give you a better fuck, someone who isn't me!" He was at a yell now, fighting back tears as he finished. "I'm not...I'm not meant for this! Why me?"

"You think I would leave you? Fuck, Blurryface! You're so fucking stupid, I swear to fucking God!" replied Spooky, tone and volume equally as violent. "After all this time, I didn't possibly think you could be this fucking ignorant, damnit!"

"Answer me! Stop avoiding my question, and just answer me! This makes no fucking sense as to why you're still here, I don't understa—"

"_Because I fucking love you!_"

The air went dead, both breathing heavily, eyes harsh. This was it.

Blurryface burst into quiet tears.

"That's why, that's your answer. I'm so in love with you that I can't fucking leave! You're the best thing that has ever happened to me and I can't help it! And I'm sorry, I know that you fucking hate love or some shit because your brain is so fucked up or whatever, but we've been through so much shit and somehow you've stayed sane the entire way, and I can't think about anything else except _you_. You're so fucking good, Blurryface. And I know you don't love me back, and that hurts like all fucking hell, but I can't just stop all of this. I haven’t left you because I love you. And I’m not going to leave you. I’m sorry."

"Y-you think I don't love you? You think after I didn’t cut you off after all this time that I don't love you back? Spooky, why do you think I’m still here?" Blurryface was fully crying now, fists clenched as he looked up at the other with teary eyes.

"No, because you're so fucking afraid of emotions and caring about people so I never thought you would, because I’m just some person who ran into your life and did all this shit without a warning," he blinked, "and I'm sorry. But yeah, I love you." His voice was muffled in the shame of his hands. Spooky stressfully ran a hand over his face and through his hair, letting out a long breath and watching carefully as red eyes blinked back tears, eyelashes thick as Blurry looked up.

"Say it again," the brunet breathed.

"I love you, _God_, I love you so fucking much." Their hands were clasped tight, Blurryface's tear stained cheeks glistening as his breaths slowed, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

"I—I love you too—_shit_—"

And then they were kissing, and it was rough and unexpected. Bottled up energy was undoing itself, in intense waves of heat. This wasn't new, but it was so different at the same time. They were relieved, they were connected, but they both were still somewhat angry. Spooky bit the brunet's pinked lip slowly, ripping a moan from Blurryface as he did so. Hands were everywhere, grasping for any part of the other that was reachable. The angle was awkward, as they were separated by the center console, and the taller boy pulled away when Blurry let a low whine slip. The energy shifted smoothly like silk.

"Let's get you inside," he whispered. The brunet nodded almost frantically in response.

There was a rush as the brown-eyed boy opened the door and dragged the other in by his stained hand. The streets were dark, the only light being the dull yellow street lamps. The adrenaline rush that shot through Blurry was one of the best feelings he had experienced in a long time. "You didn't even lock the door," the shorter commented, lips close to the other's.

"It's less hassle for us?" Spooky suggested, shutting the door with his leg and turning the brunet around. He pushed Blurry against a wall, kissing his lips needily. The shorter’s breathing was already staggered, hands gripped in the other’s curls. Their bodies were close, moving together in almost a tantalizing way. Blurry lost his breath. Spooky let him catch it, kissing his jaw. Blurry was attempting to say something, voice getting caught in his throat every time because he couldn’t focus when his boyfriend’s thigh was nudged in between his legs. “God, Spooky,” he mumbled, strained.

“You okay? We can stop,” Spooky whispered, breathing heavily as his dark eyes caught the brunet's.

“No,” Blurry replied. “Please don’t stop.” With that, Spooky gave the boy another kiss and pulled him away from the wall, hands locked around his hips. Blurry gasped as he was scooped up into Spooky's rather strong arms, one under his back and one hooked under his thighs. "Wha—"

"M'gonna make sure you're comfortable, can't just do this against the wall." Blurry's stomach tightened.

"I mean we could, but y-yeah, okay."

A few moments later, he found himself being laid down on a bed, eyes already crimson dark and blown. It was soft, and his body warmed as his boyfriend crawled over him. The room looked blue, a soft yellow tinge of light coming from a lamp beside the bed. His attention was back on the other, breath picking up. Spooky’s hands were at his shirt.

"Off?" Spooky asked quietly.

"Please," the brunet responded. With that, Blurry's white shirt was being unbuttoned and slid off of his shoulders. The gesture was quick, urgent, but it slowed as Spooky took his hand from the other's arm and cupped his cheek softly, shirt sleeves halfway down.

"You're so beautiful, Blur. God, you are so pretty."

The other's eyes widened, face a blushing scarlet as he melted slightly from the compliment. His response was scattered, voice broken and mind on only one thing. So instead he just opted for a shaky sigh, the pads of his fingertips playing around the redhead's waist. It was a tiny moment of silence, Spooky smiling delicately at his boyfriend before kissing him again and sliding the shirt further down and off of Blurryface's arms before discarding it onto the dark floor. The brunet did the same, and eventually, both of the boys' clothing was no longer on them, minus their underwear. Spooky was in the process of marking Blurry's neck, creating a variety of softer (and louder) noises from the red-eyed boy, whose head was pressed back against the pillows, mouth slack. Spooky decided that he would treasure this moment and future moments forever. Blurry’s skin was soft but his voice was rough and cracking. The redhead made his way down the shorter's chest, tainting the soft skin with bruises that would develop with more colors over time. Blurry became more responsive the lower that the paler went, arching his back slightly in an attempt to control himself.

Spooky could see Blurry's evident pain through the fabric of his boxers, looking up at the whining brunet slowly. "Can I?" he whispered, lips parted.

The other only groaned slightly, seemingly unable to form proper words. He halfway nodded.

"I need words, Blur." The brown-eyed boy rested his hand on Blurry's thighs, and he could feel a shiver.

"Y-yeah," Blurry whispered, almost coming out as a moan.

"There you go," Spooky coaxed, giving the lower stomach one last kiss before he slid the black underwear down Blurry's hips and further towards his ankles. The brunet used his ankles to kick off what he had left, feet curling around Spooky as he did so. He brought his knees together in instinct, but the red haired boy nudged them apart with his hands.

“Relax, Blur. Don’t be embarrassed.” In a split second, a sudden warmth in the form of Spooky’s hand was around Blurry, and he unraveled at the touch, a low moan leaving him quietly. The taller was kissing softly into his chest, fingers working at the hard flesh, already coated with precum. Blurry was panting, arching his back and finding his ashy hands in his boyfriend's red hair. Spooky groaned at this, sending small vibrations on Blurryface's tainted skin. The angle wasn't the best, and Spooky would shift but he was enjoying this far too much. Instead, he kept going, slowly and almost carefully. Blurry was sure he was going to explode and he didn’t even know if that was the only thing they were going to do.

A high whine cane from the red-eyed boy, along with a string of fast-paced curses, eyes shut and head buried deep into the pillows. "F-fuck, Spooks, you gotta go fas—fuck!" his mouth drawled out, cracking once again.

"Fuck, Blurry, you're so good," the redhead praised, hands curling and giving the other a few more rough pumps before sliding his hands back up over the rest of the other boy's bare body, meeting his lips for a messy kiss. Blurry whined at the loss of contact, bringing his hips up and pressing them against his boyfriend's. Spooky's tongue brushed ever so slightly onto Blurry's red lips when he gasped, and the paler swallowed a quiet moan, breaking them apart.

"What do you want?" he whispered quietly.

Blurryface couldn't conceive a proper response, only making a variety of short lived noises and bucking his hips up in an attempt for contact between the two. His cheeks were red, body warm and lips still open.

"Blur— words, I need words, okay? Tell me what you want to do." The redhead held himself back from rolling down against the other, keeping his lips at a small part.

"I, ah," Blurry couldn't form a cohesive phrase, hands reaching to tug at Spooky's hair. The older groaned quietly.

"Words, I don't know what to do if you don't, shit, if you don't tell me, Blur."

"I—" Blurry inhaled, eyes closed as an uncontrolled moan left him, brain momentarily short-circuiting. "Just fuck me,” he panted. “Please..._please_…!" If Blurryface wasn't embarrassed before, he was now. Face flushed, he opened his eyes to see Spooky's eyes, almost pitch black, the red around them hazy and illuminated with the faint light from the lamp. He was panting too, breathing heavy, arms above Blurry and breath caught in his throat. Blurry’s body was trembling slowly, he was shaking, so caught up in everything that the only thing his mind could think about was the boy above him.

"Are you 100 percent sure?" The taller asked lowly, voice grave and eyes narrow. Blurry ignored all of the blood rushing to his lower again, instead, completely losing control over the words escaping him. He met his hips once more, phrases stringing from his mouth, desperate. Why was he being so desperate? He guessed he would find out later.

"Yes, fuck, I'm sure, need you, God, please!"

Spooky nodded, gripping at the sheets. "Okay, I'll be right back," he rasped, pressing one more kiss to the nape of Blurry's stained neck before getting off of the bed. The brunet hissed loudly at the empty feeling across his body. He was so exposed, squirming as the pressure on the bed lessened. He heard a drawer next to him open and it wasn't long before he felt the bed creak again, and the redhead was at his legs. He sighed as Spooky's fingertips traced over his thighs, hands prying them apart and pulling them up slowly. sitting on his heels. "We can stop at any time, okay?"

"Mhm." Blurryface bit back another moan. "So, what now?"

"How much do you know about anal sex?"

Blurry really needed to let Spooky know how hard it was to talk when his thighs were being massaged. "N-nothing. No wait...you put your dick in my ass. I know-I know that."

"Okay, so in order to do that, I have to stretch the hole out so it doesn't kill you. That's what I'm about to do."

"With...what?"

"Lube and for now, my fingers."

"Right," Blurry said, voice tight. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous.

"Just try and relax. It'll feel good."

"How do you know?"

"Oh, I have no clue," said Spooky. "But I just assume it does from what I've heard and seen."

"So I'm your test subject?"

"No, you're the person I'm hopelessly in love with and am about to lose my virginity to. With that said, this might be awkward, but I'll try my best."

"Do people usually talk this much when they're about to fuck?'

Spooky smiled. "No, probably not. I mean, I'm not complaining."

"Yeah," Blurry breathed. "Me neither, especially when I get a free ass massage. But also, I'm ready to uh, s-start."

"Okay. Give me something when I can move, okay?" The taller looked up to see Blurry nod, thighs shaking subtly. Uncapping the lube, he spread it on his fingers and onto the brunet's entrance, slowly and almost teasingly. This made the shorter whimper slightly. He started with one, and one eventually became two, the brunet responding with a noise that was similar to that of a gasp and a moan. "That okay?"

"S'good." Blurry breathed in slowly. "Kiss me. Anywhere. Please." Blurry guessed maybe he didn't think about whether or not this hurt, and when it did for a little bit, he was going to need a distraction.

The redhead obliged, leaning to leave a trail of kisses around his lips, his cheeks, his jaw and then back to the brunet's red lips in a slow, sweet motion. "My pretty boy," he whispered lowly.

The shorter sighed, eyelashes fluttering open to make a split second of eye contact with the other. His eyes were the color of dark blood, blown wide, face red.

"Move?"

Blurryface nodded, fingers tightening around the sheets as he arched his back instinctively and gasped.

Spooky liked to think knew where to focus himself. It wasn't too hard, as Blurry knew where and now how he liked things. He was responsive, and Spooky took in every bit of it. He wanted nothing more than to please the red-eyed boy as best he could. His fingers worked carefully, eventually adding a third, moving as much as possible, reacting to every move and sound the brunet would make. He reached a spot eventually, emitting a loud moan from the tanner.

"There, fuck," he breathed out, arching his back instinctively. The other reacted positively, making sure he brushed over the same spot again and again until the brunet was to the point of babbling. "Fuckfuckfuck, I'm ready, please, M'good, need you, fuck—!"

"Yeah, okay, hold on," Spooky sat back with a small noise, sliding his underwear off and maneuvering it off of his ankles before reaching for the silver packet beside him, tearing it open. The brunet made a noise of protest at the loss of friction, but he kept himself intact to the best of his control.

"C-can I?" It was a whisper, slow and quiet, but the redhead still looked down to see his boyfriend sat up slightly, eyes still dark, hand out to meet the other's. Spooky swore he was hearing things, eyes blown wide.

"Fuck, yeah, yeah, here."

Blurry leaned forward, pressing a hot kiss to the taller's lips, sensual and captivating. "You got excited," he mused, looking down with dark eyes. The paler's lower was colored and tense against his stomach, the white substance dripping slowly out.

"Like I've said before, I feel like you've never looked at yourself in a mirror before, Blur," Spooky only replied, hands braced around the other's back, refraining himself. Blurry's black fingers were nimble as he spit on them, wrapping around the length and tugging at it slightly. "Holy fuck, Blurry," the older moaned softly, "so good." The praise only encouraged the brunet, who gave a few more soft tugs before taking the condom from the ripped packet and rolling it over in satisfaction.

They clung to each other for a bit after, kissing needily and fast before the tanner pulled away. "Need you," whispered Blurry, eyes open. Spooky nodded, laying the boy back again with ease before clambering over him.

"You fine like this?"

"Y-yeah. You know what you're doing?" Blurry sounded out of breath.

"For the most part," the red-lidded boy replied. "Don't wanna hurt you. Bend your legs."

"I'll be fine," the other drawled out the last word, gripping the sheets before splaying put his fingers. His stained hands made their way to the milky skin of Spooky's back then, letting himself have a loose hold. The redhead gripped the tan thighs, making sure the brunet's legs were high enough around his torso.

"We can stop at any point if you want, okay?"

"Fuck, Spooks, don't wanna stop, just—" Blurry sighed, eyes closed and head bowed towards the other.

"God, you're needy."

"Y-yeah I am, now hurry before I start babbling again, please—!"

Spooky hummed, grabbing the bottle next to him and coating himself and Blurry in it where they needed once more.

"That's a fuck ton of lube," Blurry whispered, the colder substance sending chills through his body as he reacted to the brown-eyed boy's touch.

"It's either this or you get your ass torn apart, B," Spooky replied breathily. He lined himself up, holding a grasp on Blurry. It was slow, the way he closed his eyes in silence. The brunet was locked down, the only thing that moved was the small shake of his thighs in anticipation and the bob of his adam's apple.

"We've never done this before," Blurryface whispered shakily.

"No, we haven't. You okay?"

"I'm great," the red-eyed boy huffed sarcastically.

They started slow, a tiny gasp escaping Blurry as the redhead pushed his tip in, making a small noise. He gazed at the shorter for a small amount of time, who was flushed and panting heavily, mouth open. That image would be in Spooky's brain for a long time. Slowly, he pressed farther in, creating a plethora of vocal sounds from Blurry as he did so.

Blurryface let out a long hiss when the paler bottomed out, clenching the sheets. It wasn't really painful, but it was foreign, and it threw the brunet off slightly, and yeah maybe it was sorta painful.

"You good?”

"Y-yes, Spooks, I am over the fucking moon right now with your dick up my ass, thanks for asking." he stuttered.

“You don’t sound too over the moon,” Spooky teased.

“Oh, shut the fuck up,” Blurry spat. “God, this feels so fucking weird.”

Spooky grinned. “It feels pretty good on my end. A little tight, but it’s fine.”

“Well then maybe next time you should spend some more time making sure I’m better prepared.”

“You’re the one who told me you were good to go, stupid.”

“The fuck did you expect?! I’m fucking _horny_, jackass!”

"And you ask me why I'm in love with you," the other exhaled.

"I take that as an insult— _oh shit_—" Blurry's remark was cut off by a moan when Spooky adjusted himself slightly.

The taller chuckled, "I only shifted a little, B."

"Yeah, but I felt that."

“That’s supposed to happen.” Spooky took a deep breath before continuing. "So you good if I move now?"

"Fuck, please," Blurryface replied quietly, fingernails rough against the redhead's pale back.

“Why are you so polite when we have sex?”

“Shut up and fuck me, asshole.”

Spooky smiled, running a hand down Blurry’s side. “That’s more like it, pretty boy.” He pulled out slowly and pushed back in once just to test, eyes on the other. Blurry’s breath was already picking up.

Judging by the other’s reaction after that, everything was perfectly fine.

With that, the taller began to keep a steady pace, starting slow and listening to every noise that left the other boy's mouth.

Blurry felt as if he had straight-up died and been brought to the afterlife, however that works. He was melting, unraveling and allowing a thread of moans to escape him. He knew that his boyfriend was going slow, he knew the boy's caring nature that was buried beneath his pale skin was present. Maybe one day the brunet could try and find the more rough side of him. As for right now, he was taking care of the shorter. This was it for them, this is what sealed everything in stone, and Blurry gratefully accepted every part of it with open legs. He started to understand why people did this stuff so much. It was intimate and it felt great, but this was genuinely an act of love. If Blurry had the capacity to stop and think about it, his heart would be racing faster if that was even possible, as he was already so strewn up from the mixture of nerves and pleasure.

"Blur..." Spooky whispered, head bowed towards the shorter. Blurry gasped, scratching his nails into the brown-eyed boy's expansive back as he whimpered. They were close, so impossibly close, and the foreign aspect of it all was overshadowed by just how good it felt. The pain was no longer there.

"Fuck, Spooks, f-faster, God, please—!"

Spooky’s breath hitched quickly at the request, taken aback at just how obscene it sounded. “I’ve got you,” he replied quietly, moving the tanner's legs up more so he could better the angle. The brunet moaned lowly, lips open as he was pressed further into the mattress, mind overcome with bliss. The taller increased his pace, small gasp leaving his pink lips when he looked to see the other absolutely unraveled beneath him. Another image that would be kept in his brain for a while that he was probably never going to get over.

Blurry's begging had only increased at this point, and he was completely broken by the time his legs were being brought up to his chest, voice a little quiet and choked up. "Yes, fuck, right there, holy hell, Spooks—m'not gonna last much longer, God..." He was somewhat surprised his stamina was lasting this long, but that was a mere thought shoved in the back of his head to make room for his current surroundings. He wondered what he looked like. With a few more thrusts, the brunet was babbling incoherent curses, practically clawing at the other's torso roughly. He was holding back the building in his stomach, biting at his lip. This was probably among the more weirder feelings. Somehow, Spooky knew what was going on.

"Let go, pretty boy. It’s okay, come on" the paler hissed. With that, Blurry was gone, thighs shaking and back arched prominently as he tipped with a drawled out moan. The sight alone nearly made Spooky lose it, holding his boyfriend down through his high before picking up his pace again, this time rushed and almost messy. Almost. "Blurry—"

"Do it." the whisper was quiet but at the same time harsh and menacing, and the redhead climaxed with a short cry, feeling the other's muscles clench around him. Yes, they were so close, foreheads resting against each other as Blurryface relaxed his legs, breaths heavy. Sweaty and panting, Spooky lifted his weight from the shorter and pulled out, quickly disposing the condom in the nearby trash can by throwing it. It fell in with a small plop.

“You okay?” he murmured to the shorter, tracing his hand down the boy’s face.

Blurry opened his eyes, nodding as he bent his legs. “I’m good, we’re good,” he breathed.

Spooky kissed Blurry’s cheek slowly, putting a finger under his chin. Blurry’s eyes shone under the dull light of the lamp. They were still dark. “Your skin is shiny,” Spooky said. He looked down. “And sticky.”

Blurry went red, scrunching his nose. “Ew, that’s nasty, man.”

Spooky opened his mouth to disagree but closed it after Blurry raised his eyebrows, cheeks getting even more flushed. “I’ll get you cleaned up, don’t worry,” he instead chose to say.. He got up to wet a washcloth with warm water, returning and climbing over to Blurry. The younger hummed as his boyfriend rubbed it slowly across his skin and sighed quietly when Spooky went back into the bathroom and left the rag on the counter.

Laying back down, the redhead shifted himself so his boyfriend was cuddled into him, skin soft and warm against him. He grinned, kissing sweetly wherever he could (much to the red-eyed boy's protest).

"S-stop that," Blurry mumbled, the small grin playing at his lips not too convincing.

"But you're beautiful, I can't help it," Spooky insisted, smirking as he gazed at the shorter.

"Yeah, and you're hot... and still sweaty," replied Blurry, tilting his head to meet the pair of dark eyes that opposed him.

"Aw, thank you, Blurryface," the other teased.

"That wasn't a compliment, you idiot," Blurryface chuckled quietly at the end, flicking the other's forehead. It didn't last long, as he hissed in discomfort when he moved his legs, resting his head on Spooky's chest.

"Hey, Blur?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna go get ice cream?" Spooky asked, voice quiet but almost childlike.

There was a pause before Blurryface responded, leaning his head upwards. "I can't walk, smartass."

"I'll just have to take you to a drive-thru then," the redhead stated, looking up at the ceiling fan that was spinning slowly,

"...and get me dressed too."

"That's not a problem," Spooky shrugged, tracing a finger on Blurry's arm, and before the tanner boy could respond, he could already feel a weight lifting off of the bed. Spooky made his way to the dresser across from the bed, grabbing a white shirt from the drawer and pulling it over his head.

Blurry would be lying if he said he didn't stare at the taller's backside the entire time. It was still weird knowing and seeing that the two were still completely naked after they did this kind of stuff, but it was getting better. Instead of looking away and purposefully avoiding looking down, Blurry would just stare. It was fine. Spooky had a nice ass.

Once Spooky was dressed, clad in sweatpants and a tee for now, he grabbed another pair of clothes from his drawer, along with a black hoodie.

"Let's get you dressed then, pretty boy.," he said with a tease-like smile. Unwillingly moving to sit with his legs off the bed, Blurry rolled his eyes slightly. Underwear went on first, Spooky kneeling so he could slide them up the brunet's legs and onto his waist. A shirt went over his head, sweatpants hanging on his waist, even some socks. Lastly a soft hoodie came over him, Blurry popping his head up, a small grin on his lips. Spooky smiled. That was definitely one of the most adorable things he’d seen. "You look good in my clothes," the taller noted. They were slightly oversized on the other, but not by much.

The lamp's light didn't fail to show Blurryface's flustered reaction. "Shut up."

They kissed again, slowly, and Spooky took time to admire Blurry's flushed state, along with his messy brown hair and freshly marked neck. His eyes were brighter, illuminated by the dim lighting.

"So, am I going to have to carry you or—?"

"Oh _God_."

* * *

In the car, the music was loud as the two listened to the trashy hit station, Blurryface making fun of every single song that managed to come on. It was 12:30 in the morning and they pulled into the nearest McDonald's drive-thru without really thinking.

"Wait, Spooks, McDonald's ice cream machines are always broken."

"If it is broken, we'll go to fucking Walmart and buy five tubs of Ben and Jerry's," the redhead insisted.

Blurry looked over to his boyfriend, who had his eyes dead set on the menu approaching them."You really want some ice cream, don't you?"

"Yes," Spooky whispered, almost in a snap.

Blurryface laughed, quieting himself when the cashier asked the brown-eyed boy what he wanted.

"Yeah, can I get two Oreo McFlurry's?"

"Sure," the lady grumbled out in response.

Blurry put his hands into his face, eyes narrowed when he looked at his boyfriend, who looked like he'd just gotten a puppy on Christmas, staring right back at him. "You fucking moron," he whispered inaudibly, shaking his head.

The lady mumbled something else, Spooky disregarding it and saying he didn't need anything else, pulling up to the window after receiving his total.

"I can't believe this," Blurry said in awe.

The older only smiled.

They ended up in the parking lot, the radio still on silently as they ate.

"Happy birthday," Spooky whispered.

"It's not my birthday anymore, stupid," Blurry sassed back in between bites of his food.

"It still counts."

Quiet overcame them again, Spooky looking over once more to the brunet, who had a mouthful of ice cream.

"Blurryface," he whispered.

The red-eyed boy hummed in question, eyes meeting the other's.

"I love you," Spooky smiled in amusement.

Blurryface made a noise of protest, swallowing quickly as he could, almost choking as his eyes widened. He wanted to smack that dumb smile right off of Spooky Jim's face. "I love you too, why the fuck would you say that while I have a shit ton of fucking ice cream in my mouth?"

"Because I knew how you’d react. And it was funny." the other giggled, throwing his head back slightly.

"That's incorrect."


	6. VI: The Rise And Shatter Of Euphoria (And Other Bullshit)

Blurryface was sore as all hell.

Groaning in his lack of amusement, he only rolled over to find that the jackass who caused all this pain in the first place was out of the bed.

"Oh, fuck you," Blurry mumbled mainly to himself, rubbing at his face before sitting up. Okay, so maybe the pain wasn't too bad, but he was still going to have trouble getting around. So yeah, fuck you, Spooky.

"Where the fuck are you?" Blurryface yelled out, hoping to get a response.

"Go to the kitchen!” 

The brunet wished death on himself countless times before he even reached the kitchen (after he had already brushed his teeth and used the bathroom and whatever), a limo accompanying him today that he would definitely over-exaggerate.

Spooky was in the unfortunately large kitchen, pouring way too much creamer into his mug of coffee. "Hey, Blur," he hummed casually.

"Uh-huh, hey yourself," Blurryface replied, making his way towards the paler boy and leaning into him for support. Spooky took this opportunity for granted, turning and abruptly picking up the other and setting him on the nearby island counter, many a noise of protest coming from Blurry.

"Stop picking me up and putting me places!" he fussed, a frown on his lips.

"No can do, pretty boy," Spooky replied easily. He leaned in, pressing a short kiss to the other's lips, earning a sigh in response.

"You're so..." Blurryface's quiet voice trailed off as he watched his boyfriend turn back to his coffee mug. His eyes stayed sharp on the scratches he saw. Oops. 

"Smooth?" the paler finished, "Yeah, I know." He faced Blurry again, "You're a tough crowd, gotta make sure I'm able to impress you." His face was smug, sipping at his coffee with dark eyes.

"You think you have competition, there, Spooks?" Blurry raised an eyebrow playfully.

The brown-eyed boy hummed, "I've said it once already and I'll say it again—people at our school would practically pay to get you in bed with them, you're mysterious, intimidating, mean and you practically have the body of a god," he explained lowly, setting down his mug and coming closer. "So yeah, I'd think I have competition."

"Why would you have competition if I’m not going anywhere?" The brunet's eyes were narrowed, lips upturned.

Spooky grinned satisfactory at this, chuckling. "You have a good point," he muttered. They kissed again, slower, and the taller eventually broke off and stepped back, eyes locked with the red ones across him. "You want something to eat?"

"Yeah, that'd be great."

* * *

The air was cold and dead when the brunet walked through the door of his house, the small space seemingly empty. Spooky had dropped him off. It was 4 PM. He sighed, hand on the railing to go upstairs before he was stopped. The red-eyed boy dropped his bag at the step.

"Hey, boy.” 

His father was sitting at the kitchen table, glass of water in his hands and eyes lifeless. He was sober for once. Even so, Blurry still dreaded what was to come.

"Yes?” 

"Come here." 

Hesitantly, Blurryface stepped down and made his way slowly to his parent, a small scowl on his face. He hated his father. He was mean, cold, alcoholic and he didn't give a shit about any of his family. To add on, he had insomnia, putting himself in a grouchy mood seemingly all the time. He was heartless, and Blurry couldn't stand him. He didn't know how anyone could. Everything he said sounded like a hate crime. Everything he did would give Blurry flashbacks of his childhood, and Blurry hated every second of it. His father was a soulless cunt with absolutely no hope. 

The boy's scowl dropped when he realized he was growing into a pure image of his father at some point in time.

Blurry sat down slowly, eyes set on his father's grey face. White eyes, grey hair, skin so pale that it was grey as well, blue lips and giant eye bags. 

"So," his father licked his lips, "how long has this whole gay thing been going on?" The man's voice was gravelly and cracked, set in a deep octave. Blurry’s eyes widened.

"I'm not gay, I don’t know what youre talking about," the red-eyed boy responded.

"Wouldn't this boyfriend of yours say otherwise? Or are those markings on your neck just for show? What's he do, give you AIDS last night?" he spat. Blurryface shrank in his chair, hand defensively covering his neck, the stained black shades matching with each other. His face contorted into one of disgust, blinking at his father with a frown on his face. 

“I’m sorry, _ what_?” Blurry asked, ultimately confused. How did his father even know? Caroline would’ve never told him. Maybe it was Gold or Momentum, Blurry didn’t figure they ever cared enough to know. He was terrified.

“Don’t lie to me, son. It’s not hard to put two and two together. Everytime you go out with that _ boy _ you come back with either disgusting and sinful bruises or a stupid look on your face! And I am not having it! That is absolutely _ vile_, Blurryface! You’re going to burn in hell. You break up with that boy now.” 

"Why do you care all of the sudden?" the brunet muttered. 

"Because I didn't go through all of this bullshit to raise a _ fag_." 

Blurryface barked out a laugh. It was threatening, but nothing compared to his father's demeanor. "You fucking hypocrite!" he sneered. "You've never given a single damn about me. You didn't go through anything at all for me, hell, you basically tortured me as a child! Now all of a sudden, you're upset because...I’m gay?! I'm not even gay, so shut the fuck up! You know nothing about me and it’s going to stay that way because you do not give a rat’s ass!” 

"Don't argue with me, son." 

"No, I'm going to fucking argue!" Blurryface raised his voice. "You don't do shit for me, you never have! You have absolutely no say in how I'm raised because you never _ did _raise me! All you are is a drunk piece of shit! So what do you care if I have a boyfriend or whatever the fuck? You don't care at all, you fucking can't! Nobody in this family fucking cares about me at all except for your wife, and I'm not even her child!"

"You shut your mouth right now before I slap you, boy!" His father was standing, towering over Blurryface as he leaned. The brunet was fuming, eyes a fiery and alarming red as he huffed.

"Go ahead," he threatened, "slap me. See what that does to you when Caroline comes in. She'll have the police called in two seconds." The boy stepped back, out of his father's shadow as he turned around. His mind was running a complete marathon.

"You’re a sin, Blurryface! God will never forgive you for this. I didn’t fucking lose your mother for you to go run off with a boy and be a faggot! You are going to burn in hell for this, Blurryface! My own _ damn son_!” 

Blurry looked back. “Well, old man, if I’m going to hell for sleeping with a boy, then I will make sure to see you there! God,” he seethed, “I have one damn thing going for me, after all this time! After my mother leaving, after getting starved and yelled at and trying to kill myself and all of that good shit, I finally have something that makes my life better, but I’m not allowed to have that, am I? Because God forbid that Blurryface have a good life. God _ for-fucking-bid_. Go get shitfaced and pass out.”

He caught his breath and darted up the stairs as fast as he could, slamming his door behind him as agonizing white noise filled his ears. His breathing was heavy and labored, a block in his lungs with just as painful tears stinging his eyes aflame.

Sinking down onto the floor, his breath dropped, and he cried.

* * *

Lunch was off.

And that was bad because the entire day had been in-the-wrong for Spooky. First, Blurryface had come in and actually cried a little on Spooky's shoulder before class, which resulted in him ranting in the bathroom about his father for a fraction of a second and ended with lots of reassurance. He'd acted distant for the rest of the day up until now. And then Devotee came to Spooky again asking if he'd seen Nicotine, who was absent. Devotee was concerned because apparently, he too had been distant recently. Then, in second, Soul Punk had actually talked to him. Granted, he was asking for a pencil, but it was the first time since his outburst a good few months ago. That didn’t really matter. 

Hurricane was busy ranting at the lunch table, something about her parents and a tattoo she got. Spooky couldn't focus. He was too busy wondering why Blurry's head was rested on his shoulder after he'd been distant. He was never a really touchy person in the first place. Spooky Jim figured it was because of whatever the hell had happened at Blurryface's house, but he had no idea. The explanation he got was vague. 

Devotee was picking at an orange peel, very interested in whatever was on his explorer page on Snapchat. Violent sat beside him, head looking up often and glancing around the cafeteria. The redhead assumed it was to look for any signs of Nicotine. Black Tear was next to Hurricane and Crimson, listening to the turquoise's story with the shorter girl beside her. 

It wasn't until Blurryface pressed closer into Spooky's side that he looked back down, taking the brunet's hand and squeezing it with his own. He could feel Blurry sigh.

"Nasty," Crimson commented at the two.

"I know," Spooky Jim replied absentmindedly, taking a moment to glance at her smirking face. 

There was commotion when someone sat down then, and everyone looked to see Nicotine. 

He looked sick. 

Spooky could read the expression on the other boy: Dread. His face was paler than normal, almost ghostly. He had a green tint to him, and his body looked hesitant to sit down.

This, of course, spurred an outburst of different reactions from Devotee. He caught the entire cafeteria's attention when he started yelling, but quickly realized his mistake, and he quieted a little. "Where have you been?! Are you okay? Why didn't you answer your phone?" He moved over to be close to the seemingly scared boy that opposed him, who shrunk. 

"I—I'm okay," Nicotine replied quietly, voice hoarse. Devotee sighed, taking his hand with a consoling look. The sickened boy looked across from him distractedly towards Blurryface. Blurry sent a questioning look to Spooky and a small "Is he okay?"

Spooky shook his head, lips pressed in a straight line. 

Nicotine coughed, it sounded fake. He looked down at his tray. Everyone was quiet.

Hurricane eventually continued her story, the group listening loosely as she kept on and on, Devotee eventually averting his attention from his boyfriend and back onto his phone. Nicotine's big brown eyes widened, and he slowly looked at the floor, dead silent and almost robotic.

Spooky could feel the pads of Blurry's black fingertips moving against his hand, and he relaxed his grip so the brunet could continue to trace patterns inside the redhead's pale hands. Blurryface's fingers were clammy and warm. 

Violent looked at Nicotine in question after watching his distant expression of what seemed like worry. "Hey, N. Are you sure you're okay? Did something happen?" Nicotine looked up, and their gazes met. His lips were open, and he only paled.

"I—I..." 

"Nic..." Devotee started, his golden eyes soft. 

Nicotine looked like he broke in two, and it was evident. Spooky watched with concern. "I can't, I'm sorry," the quiet boy choked out a sob, abruptly leaving the table, hand against his mouth as he rushed out of the cafeteria and into the bathroom outside. Violent stood up in utter concern, but the blue-tinted next to him stopped him from moving. 

"It's okay, stay here. I can get him. He might get upset with you, he does that sometimes," Devotee looked towards the exit with astonishment, gently pushing Violent Cain down back into his seat. The group was silent, Crimson's face contorted into confusion, Hurricane looking as if she'd seen someone walk past in their Halloween costume. Even Blurryface had looked up from his place in Spooky's neck, surprising his boyfriend. 

Devotee put his hands out in caution and in comfort, backing away slowly and giving the group a look before he ran off.

* * *

**dev**

meet me in the bathroom

**spooky**

is everything ok

**dev**

no

**spooky**

k hold on

The class was occupied in their own conversations, as a group project was assigned but nobody was really doing it. The redhead stayed in his seat next to Blurry, Soul Punk in front of them, talking quietly to Jet Star. Blurryface tapped his foot quietly, scratching words into his arm, eyes sharp on what he was writing. Spooky looked at him carefully, tapping his shoulder. Blurry looked up. 

"Hey, Devotee needs to talk, you good here?” 

Blurryface nodded, lips parted and red from where he was biting down. "Yeah." 

Soul, having overheard their small exchange, looked over quietly, a small smirk resting on his lips. His eyebrows were raised slightly, eyes on the brunet across from him. 

Spooky saw this and narrowed his eyes, turning to face the bleach blonde, giving him a look. 

Soul only narrowed his eyes mockingly, huffing. 

"I'll be back," the brown-eyed boy announced quietly, getting up from his seat and taking the bathroom pass with him. Blurryface looked after him as he left with big eyes and sullen look on his face. He then slowly turned to face the blonde, who laughed.

"Calm down, I'm not going to do anything to you, asshat. Your big and tough boyfriend won't have to worry. What am I gonna do anyways? Push you out of your chair and call you names?" 

Blurry remained muted, sighing and turning back to his desk.

* * *

Spooky paced down the hall fast, passing a group of students on his way. He tucked his phone away in the pocket of his jeans and pushed the door of the male bathrooms open, knowing he'd see the other right away. The bathroom was empty as far as he could tell, except for Devotee. He was slouched against the wall, putting his phone down as well when the door opened. He ran a hand through his hair and stood up quickly, letting the redhead make his way over.

"Fuck, man," the blue tinted stressed, his face full of worry.

"What happened?" Spooky whispered cautiously. 

"Don't worry," Devotee looked at himself in the mirror, "Nobody's here." 

"That—that doesn't matter? What happened, D? Did you break up?" 

"No, well...I mean, I don't know, not right now!" Devotee looked down at the ground, a hand on his neck as his horns curled. 

"That makes no sense! What's wrong, Dev?"

"The party we all went to all those months ago—that one that was all over Snapchat, right?" 

Spooky shifted, "Yeah? The one with the person walking in on...?" 

"Yeah. The girl. So basically, I ended up drinking a shit ton and me and Violent were smoking pot or something in, like, the corner. Nicotine said he was going to go and get some more booze, so he did. And It was fine. Me and Violent were okay alone for a second. And then eventually, N came back and it was fine, and he would go to get more drinks until he was basically wasted. That's when he wandered off. We didn't see him again for the rest of the night."

Spooky blinked, following along. "What happened then?"

"He—he told me earlier that he got," Devotee gulped, "he went and hooked up. With a girl."

"Oh my God, Dev—"

"No, wait, there's more." Devotee smiled pathetically, wiping at his cheek.

"She's not...?" asked Spooky quietly, head wandering. 

The other nodded quickly, putting a hand over his mouth. "She is. And she doesn't want it, so Nicotine offered to take it because he didn't want her to get an abortion, or put it up for adoption or-or anything, and so apparently this morning he was thinking about it, and his parents got mad. And so you know how my aunt is super close with Nic and his family? The chill one? So she’s going to take custody of the child, but Nic wants me to care for it because he trusts me, and I can't have custody of it so that’s why my aunt is taking it but she says I’ll still have to take care of it, so now I'm basically taking it because he trusts me, but he doesn't want to break up because he cheated, but he feels really bad and now I'm just fucking stuck with his child." 

"Whoah, slow down, back up,” Spooky paused. “So you’re telling me that Nicotine knocked up someone and your aunt is taking custody but making you parent it...? Jesus fucking Christ, Dev, the fuck are you gonna do? I feel like I’m in some fucking teen drama series. Do your parents know?" 

"I don't know! I have no clue! I don't know how to take care of a fucking child or anything, oh fuck!"

"Wait, wait, hold on. How far along is she, and who the fuck is it?" 

"N said she was 9 weeks and it's some sophomore from another school. Fuck, I'm so scared. My mom's gonna put me on house arrest or some shit, _ God,_" he sniffed. 

"This is insane, Dev," Spooky muttered in the palms of his hands. “This is fucking insane. Literally, what the fuck.”

"I know." 

Spooky looked back at the door, biting his lip. This was bad. This was _ really _ bad. This was bad, and Spooky didn’t need anymore info. He just needed to process. Also, Blurry was alone, probably getting annoyed as fuck by Soul Punk. “Dev, I gotta go--”

"Yeah, yeah I know. Go ahead, just thought I'd tell you," Devotee cut him off, shooing the redhead with his hands. 

"Text me updates, okay?" 

The dark haired boy nodded.

Spooky Jim smiled sympathetically, giving Devotee a side hug. He left the bathroom shortly after, standing outside to assess what the fuck he'd just heard.

* * *

Blurry and Spooky walked hand-in-hand down the parking lot, close together because of the cold. The sun was out, however, and the sky was a bright blue. Blurry needed a ride home today because Momentum had baseball practice after school and couldn't take him home. Technically if he wanted, the brunet could just walk about 7 minutes and reach his house, but Spooky insisted on taking him home because that meant they got to sit in his car and listen to music and talk prior to them leaving.

The two were silent, eyes squinted slightly from the sun. They got in the car, each flinging their backpacks to the backseats before Blurryface sighed, slouching back into his seat. He looked up at his boyfriend, who seemed like he was about to die. 

Eyebrows raised, Blurry asked, "You want to talk about it?"

Spooky's eyes met the shorter, and he adjusted his hat slightly out of nerves. "Do you really wanna know?"

"Yeah," Blurryface replied. His eyes were cautious. Spooky looked at him, taking a deep breath.

"Long story short, Nicotine knocked up some sophomore from a different school at a party, and since his parents are Mormons he'd get killed if he brought a baby home and didn't give it up for adoption or something. So he's giving it to Devotee’s aunt because they’re weirdly close for whatever reason, trust or whatever. But Devotee’s aunt is making Dev parent the baby because it’s his boyfriend’s kid or something, and then in turn, Devotee's mom will kill him. Not because of religion or anything, but because it’s just a weird and whack ass fucking situation..." Spooky was out of breath when he finished, Blurryface's expression changing throughout the entire thing.

"What the fuck? So, Devotee is just going to have to, y'know, take care of a child that isn't his?!" Blurryface raised his voice. 

"That's what he told me," Spooky stressed.

"That whole situation is so fucked, oh my God. And honestly, what is Nicotine trying to pull giving his baby to Devotee—oh my _ God _, I can't believe I'm saying that—that's extremely unfair on his part. Are they still dating?"

"I really don't know," The redhead replied, "this whole thing is insane, you're right. I literally haven’t processed it yet, like, _ fuck. _I feel like I’m in one of those teen drama TV shows." There was a pause, and Blurryface broke the eye contact and looked ahead, nothing else to say.. Spooky Jim sighed, keeping his gaze. "Now," the redhead murmured, "do you wanna talk about what happened with you? The thirty second monologue before school didn't seem to do much," he said. The brunet's shoulders slumped.

"When got I home Sunday," Blurryface looked out the window, "my dad had a talk with me. Caroline got a new job recently, she hasn't been home because she's like, an hour away at her office. Which fucking sucks."

Spooky quietly took Blurry's hand, carefully, and the brunet shifted. 

"And then, when my dad talked to me, he gave me all the shit for being gay or whatever, and he kept throwing insults at me like he had any authority to and he basically got mad at me for being with you. Then when I accused him of not being there to raise me at all, he got pissed and we just started fighting. It was really, really bad. Last time we fought that much was like three or four years ago, we never talk. And he keeps threatening me. This morning, he said if I didn't eat breakfast, he'd ground me. And then, right before I left, he got all close to me and told me that he didn't want to see me with you or whatever. Then he pushed me out the door. Fucking cunt. I don't know what happened to him. For some reason, he knows all about how we’re dating and shit and I don’t even know fucking how, I'm just afraid that he pressured Caroline into," the red-eyed boy breathed in, "into telling him or something." 

"Your dad is such a piece of fucking shit, God, I hate him. He didn’t hit you, did he…?" the paler muttered.

“He tried. I threatened him and told him Caroline would have him arrested. Plus, I think he’s too weak to do anything.” Blurry’s voice was ghostly. "You could probably take him out if you absolutely wanted to. He's skimpy, and always drunk and tired. But he'd call the police on you. That man is fucking awful.”

Spooky rolled his eyes. "I'm taking you home. To my house. My mom is home, but if we don't bother her, she won't care. We can hang out in the basement." He got his phone out, plugging the aux cord in and putting his music on shuffle. 

"You sure?" The brunet sounded hesitant.

"Of course, Blur." Spooky's talking pace slowed. "You're fine, everything's going to be okay." The brown-eyed boy leaned over to place a kiss on the other's cheek. It gave Blurryface a tinted blush. “I’ll take you home when you know Caroline will be there.”

Blurry didn’t know if he’d ever be able to repay the other.

* * *

Only one day into winter finals, Blurryface wanted to consider himself dead. He'd tried his hardest to study, even with the motivation (and a lowkey reward system) from Spooky, but he was pretty sure that he fucked himself over on his English exam. He couldn't write essays on the analysis of British literature for shit. As far as his Algebra one he'd just finished, he could really give no fucks about it. He probably failed that one too. Blurry was never one to really care about his grades. He was just tired.

The good thing was that he only had two more days of finals and he would get to leave as soon as the bell rang today. However, it was extremely cold outside, and the brunet didn't bring a jacket to school, simply because he couldn't find one after waking up extremely late. He only had a decently thin black sweater on, over a tee. Long story short, Blurry was tired, fucked and freezing. He hadn't seen Spooky yet today either or the day previously for that matter, but it was okay because they had plans to go to McDonald's with the others after school. Then they'd find something else to do, preferably alone. 

It didn't take long for the last students to finish up their tests, and once the last person was done, the class was reprimanded to stay silent. It was a shame, people usually played Uno or Cards Against Humanity once the final was finished. However, Blurryface never participated. He just sat, alone in his own mind and would occasionally tune in to the CAH game and laugh to himself whenever he heard really crude statements.

Over the last few weeks, Nicotine was increasingly distancing himself from the group, and it worried almost everyone. Devotee and Violent had taken refuge in confiding to Spooky about everything because they felt that they could trust him most. It was scary, Nic wouldn't sit next to them, he wouldn't hang out with them, and he wouldn't talk to them or answer their texts. Everyone in the group assured Nicotine that it was okay, nobody hated him for it, and it was just a "simple mistake". 

Although, Blurryface called bullshit on that and was sure as _ hell _ that knocking up a girl wouldn't be classified as a _ simple mistake._ If Blurry was in Nicotine's position, people should honestly expect him to be dead. He couldn't imagine being in his shoes—the brunet had only met Nicotine's parents once in freshman year. They were kind, but also Mormon, reserved and distant like their son. He didn't want to know what was said the day Nicotine told them about his…issue.

Even worse, Devotee was finally starting to get really upset. Blurry didn't blame him. Nicotine knocks up a girl drunkenly, then decides to throw the baby away in his boyfriend's hands, then distances himself. There was no logic to it. Blurry gets it, Nicotine is all scared and stuff, but _ my God,_ you can't just do that to a person, right?

Aside from that absolute fiasco, Spooky's family had invited Blurryface over for dinner on Christmas Eve next week. He found it kinda funny because the redhead's mother had a look of murder in her eyes when she saw Blurry just working on his Physics beside her son one day after school. Spooky had already told the red-eyed boy about how she basically despised him. Blurryface just figured they had a family rule about bringing someone's partners to dinner because Midnight's unwelcomed "boyfriend" was also invited. He wasn't really in a relationship with her. He's just a closeted gay that's only helping out his friend for her sake. Despite the parents constantly disliking their daughter's significant other, they apparently always used to be on her tail about having a guest for dinner. Blurryface questioned the family's sanity. They were Christians, so maybe religion had something to do with it, however, Blurry’s family was also such and they never had big, involved Christmas dinners. Spooky said that Blurry’s dad always instigated it.

Christmas wasn't Blurry's favorite time, he didn't mind it, but he was never a religious person in the first place. Religion had left him as soon as he began to question it. He wasn't one of those who despised Christmas because it was overdone or anything, he really just didn't have an opinion. He was a don't-shove-it-in-my-face type of person. His family never really did anything big despite his father and Caroline being practicing Christians, along with Blurry’s siblings. They had a somewhat nicer dinner, and a few presents were exchanged. One thing that did happen was the 5-minute prayer before dinner that Blurry's father insisted on. Christmas was the only day of the year he was really forced to sit and eat with his family, though it was always in complete silence. 

At least he wouldn't have to go to school till after the new year. 

The bell chimed from the speakers, and students filed out, busting out in conversations as chairs scraped against the floor. Throwing his wooden pencil in the trash, Blurry left with the crowd and into the halls. It was only 12 PM. 

At his locker, Blurry waited silently, arms crossed. Crimson Curse found him, hair in a low bun. She waved.

"Hey, Blurry. You goin' to McDonald's?" She sounded tired, gum being chewed lazily. 

"Yeah. I'm just waiting." 

"Figured as much." Crimson sighed. "Fuck, these finals want me dead. I didn't get sleep last night." 

"I didn't either." Blurryface tapped his palm against his thigh in a slow rhythm. 

"School fucking sucks," the girl told him, frowning. "I guess I'm gonna go find Hurricane and stuff now, I'll see ya." She lifted herself off the locker, turning around after Blurry nodded.

"Bye."

The whole 2-minute conversation made Blurryface realize how little he actually talked in his friend group, he'd never been one to keep a conversation often. Of course, that was before Spooky came into the picture, but even after, the brunet never talked with anyone. He didn't really mind, he just tagged along when he could. He'd been doing it forever. He guessed it was a way to keep him grounded almost.

Eventually, the school cleared out, and Blurry was left in a small hallway where his locker was, still looking at his phone. Every now and then, a teacher or a pair of students would walk by, but other than that the hallways were a deadbeat. That is, until he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist and a small kiss being placed on his shoulder blade.

"Hey, Spooky," Blurry mumbled from ahead, not phased by the gesture. He grinned. It had happened so many times by now that the brunet had just stopped caring. Spooky's arms were warm. 

"Hey, pretty boy. How were your exams?"

"Hell on paper," Blurry replied, turning to face the other when his grip loosened. His back was pressed gently against a locker, the taller's arms still around the small of his back 

'Mine weren't any different," the redhead admitted. A beanie was placed over his messy curls, a few frizzy ones poking out on the left like always. His eyes were bright however, hints of green and silver coming through from what Blurryface could see. In turn, his own were rather dull. Spooky cleared his throat, "You ready to go?" 

"Yeah, I’m gonna die outside though. I forgot a fucking jacket."

"Here," the taller hummed, taking his jacket off. It was the black leather jacket he'd had forever. He grew into it this year when his muscles filled out, and it looked like it came straight from the 90's.

Blurryface blinked. "No, dumbass, you'll get cold if I take your jacket!"

"Don't worry, this sweater is a lot heavier than yours is. I'll be fine," Spooky insisted, tossing the jacket into Blurry's arms.

"I'm not—"

"Put the fucking jacket on," the paler interrupted him in a low voice. In response, Blurry rolled his eyes, sliding the jacket on and not breaking eye contact with the other while he did so, just to make sure that the taller was satisfied. As expected, Spooky Jim had a smirk on his face. Blurry had to admit, he was comfy. The jacket was soft on the inside but it was also heavy and oversized. It smelled like the redhead: a faint chocolate scent. It was comfortable.

"Happy?" Blurry's eyes were narrowed as he spoke, but a smile played at his lips.

"Very," Spooky nodded. 

"Okay, well let's go," the shorter's voice trailed off as he started to step away, but the redhead stopped him.

"Wait, I forgot something!"

"What is it now, asshole?" Blurry scoffed slightly, looking to face his boyfriend who was looking around himself quickly. Before the brunet could say anything else, he was being brought into a kiss as the other cupped his cheeks to bring his head up slightly. Blurry made a small noise, surprised. It was almost refreshing, the taller tasted of vanilla and peppermint from the coffee he probably just finished. Blurry kissed back with a hum. It was slow and almost dizzying. Then he remembered he was still in school.

The red-eyed boy gasped quietly when he felt kisses trailing his jaw and slightly below, his fingers twisting in the soft fabric of Spooky's black sweater. "Spooks," he whispered, "w-we gotta go. Someone’s gonna see us and kick...kick our asses,"

"Yeah," the taller mumbled as he pulled away. "Sorry, I just haven't seen you the past few days and—" His face was reddening.

"It's okay, I know. We can do this later, okay?" Blurry's voice was small, eyes darkened softly. Spooky nodded, biting his lip. "You good?" the tanner asked. 

"Yeah, let's go." Their hands clasped together lightly, the two turning to leave out the nearby door rather quickly. Blurry sighed. 

"Fuck, dude, we're gonna be late. God knows what they're gonna think happened.” 

"Oh well. Let 'em think all they want." 

Spooky laughed quietly when Blurry nudged his arm, shaking his head.

* * *

"I think I'm going to get a tattoo," Spooky said aloud, "and a nose piercing."

His arm was wrapped around Blurry's soft torso, the brunet softly rested into his chest, the grey comforter on Blurry's bed covering the rest of them to keep warmth. 

"Yeah? I want tattoos too. So I stop writing on my skin," the other replied.

"I want a sleeve, maybe? A colorful one.”

Blurry looked up to meet their eyes, a blood red shade adorning his. "That'd be nice. And a nose piercing, huh?" 

"Yeah. Maybe some others too. Not sure."

"You'd look good," Blurryface decided. "I'd just want something minimalistic. Maybe something on my chest, stuff on my wrists." 

Spooky raised his eyebrows. “A chest tattoo? Sexy.” Blurry rolled his eyes. Spooky kept talking. "I'd also get a thing on my shoulder. You probably wouldn't understand it though, it's from a book series I read in seventh grade." 

"Oh?" Blurry quipped, moving his head ever so slightly. 

"Yeah. It's a mark you got that basically gave you powers to weaken demons and shit like that. It looks really cool too." 

"Didn't know you were such a nerd, Spooks," the shorter teased. Spooky rolled his eyes.

"I only remember a bit of it. I read it a long ass time ago, there's no way in hell I remember anything important. Really only that one mark. I was real convinced I'd get one myself, plus it looks sick as fuck.” The redhead sighed.

"You're so defensive," Blurry smiled. "It's funny." 

"Oh, shut up. You can't talk." 

"I guess." Blurry turned to look at the ceiling, staring straight up at the fan. They got lucky today, as the brunet's dad was on a work trip these next few days and Caroline was actually home, meaning the two could do essentially whatever they wanted as long as it didn't disturb the blonde. Blurryface decided he wanted to lay down, and so that's how they ended up here, stripped down to their underwear because jeans were uncomfortable to lay in and Blurry had always liked how smooth the older's chest was.

"I also want to go to college," Spooky told him. The brunet scrunched up his nose. 

"I could never, but do what you want, I guess. But don't come whining to me when you hate it."

"Me? Coming to _ you _ for help? That's the funniest thing I've heard today.” teased Spooky, poking Blurry’s arm.

"I'm holding you to this," Blurry's voice was airy as he looked up. The air was cold, sunlight streaming through the one window in his small room. Despite the chill, the red-eyed boy was warm, cuddled up against the other, who was still holding a lock around his stomach. His alarm clock read 12:36. "Spooks," he whispered. "I'm bored."

They made eye contact, a mischievous grin on Spooky’s face. "Well," he started, "we're in a bed…with no clothes on—"

Blurry choked on air, ears red, "Oh my God, that’s it, I’m leaving." He tried squirming his way out, but Spooky only tightened his grip, pulling the younger closer to him. 

"Sorry, but you're stuck with me for the rest of today!" the redhead told him. 

"Sometimes I really dislike you," Blurryface heaved, emotionless.

"You know, me too. So we're even." In one swift motion, Spooky had the brunet pinned below him, the taller hovering over, arms holding him up. He could see Blurry relax his jaw, exhaling. "So, bored, huh?" 

"Yeah," Blurry whispered. He was so insanely jealous of how good a show Spooky could put on. 

"You still dislike me?"

"Yep," his voice caught in his throat.

"You sound a little hesitant there, Blur," Spooky replied, eyes narrowed as a grin appeared. 

Blurryface closed his eyes, which had somehow darkened even more. Regaining his voice, he sassed back, "That's because I was trying not to hurt your feelings by saying I hate you instead."

* * *

Spooky's family was the kind of family that got all fake happy during Christmastime, and then continued to question why the rest of the world didn't also wear a mask of faux joy. Spooky hated it, and he didn't like Christmas much either.

Not only did it mean that he too had to plaster on a smile with the most emotional glue he could muster up, but it also meant that the family's annual "meet-and-harass-your-children's-partners" dinner was also going to happen, and that was just about the last thing he'd ever want Blurry to have to experience. One wrong thing could set the shorter boy off into a spiral of doubt or anger, and he really wished his family didn't have to do this. If they said anything too bad, it would definitely fuck the poor boy's mind up for a while. That's what words did to Blurryface. They destroyed him. And Spooky's family loved to talk.

He fidgeted nervously over FaceTime, trying to calm the brunet of his own stress. Blurry's hair was tousled and messy, back facing the camera as he looked through his dresser. Spooky sat on the other end, sitting in his chair and listening to his family stress over the next day downstairs. It was Christmas Eve. The break had been good for the two of them, but they hadn't been able to spend much time together, as both of their families were absorbed in the holiday. That, however, didn't stop the older from getting a few things for his boyfriend. He actually had an excuse this time and he may have gotten overboard. But it was fine because he didn’t regularly buy gifs like this and his dad was happy he was “participating in the spirit of giving.” 

"What the fuck do I wear?" Blurry yelled over the phone, and Spooky Jim could hear clothing being thrown everywhere. "I don't own any fancy clothes!"

"Yeah you do, dumbass. You wear the same nice white, collared long sleeve button up to school every day. Just wear that. Do you have a tie?"

"Yeah," he said, sounding disgusted. "Do I need that?" The paler could see the other's stained hand grab a tie from his lower drawer. It was thin and black. 

"Yeah," Spooky laughed when he saw the other's pout. This only made Blurry more upset. 

"Fuck off, stop laughing." 

This just made the redhead laugh more, biting his lip. "Can't help it, sorry. Also, you don't need any nice pants. I've gotten away with my black skinny jeans for the past 6 years."

"Good to know, fuck, okay. Uh," Blurry stalled, "anything else? Can I just wear boots? And how do I need to do my hair? And—" 

"Calm down, Blur. Just do whatever you think is good enough, but don't overdress. We aren't going to the Grammys or anything," Spooky grinned.

"But if I do one wrong thing, your mom will hate me more and I'll be banned from ever touching you again!" Blurry snapped. "What time are you picking me up again?"

"6:30. And my mom won't hate you, she'll love you for the time being."

"Fuck, I'm so scared, Spooks."

"You'll be alright, Blur. I'll be right there with you, nobody's gonna say anything. Also, I have a thing or two to give you before we eat so that's why I'm picking you up early," Spooky gave the boy a soft smile of reassurance, spinning around in his chair slightly. 

"Ok, well I'm going to get ready, I'm gonna put it on pause, hold up," Blurry sighed before picking the phone up. He could see the other's head snap towards the camera.

"But—" 

"Oh shut up," the boy rolled his red eyes, pressing the home button and turning to the messy pile of clothes on his bed. He changed with ease, running multiple fingers through his hair. It had grown. He needed a haircut.

Spooky sat quietly, checking the time. 30 minutes. He still had to change his shirt and brush his teeth, but he'd do that when the call ended. There was more shuffling from the other side after a while along with a small hiss, The brown-eyed boy saw the other's face once more when he finished. 

"Okay, this looks fine, right?"

Blurry flipped the camera so Spooky was faced with a mirror, the brunet in the reflection. He'd opted for the same shoes he wore on his birthday, jeans straight and rolled nicely along with his shirt. His hair was still a slight mess.

"More than fine," Spooky told him, standing up to grab his shirt.

"I'm going to slap you."

"Don't do that in front of my family," the tall boy joked. Blurry let out a sigh of defeat, camera angled parallel to his features that were currently looking down at his lap.

"Yeah, well I'll see you in a few, right?" Blurryface asked, lips out of frame.

Spooky hummed in conformation. The call ended, Blurry's doing, and it left the boy on his own to actually put himself together, used to the abrupt ending. He would end it "properly" or whatever, but it was fine. It was still new. Spooky wanted to save that stuff for special occasions just in case, even though he technically had no reason to be afraid of the tanner’s reaction. Right now the only thing crossing Spooky Jim's mind was the fear of what his mother and father would have to say. His dad hadn't even met Blurry yet, so God knows what lies he was fed via his ever-so-loving mother. He'd just have to wait and find out. Midnight was currently on her way to get her "boyfriend" as well, and the redhead did have to admit to feeling bad about leaving them alone while he was gone. Oh well, they'd live, or so he guessed.

* * *

One thing Blurry did like about Christmas was the lights. He found it humorous as to how people would waste their time putting tacky and overdone lights all around their house, bothering every neighbor up to five houses down. It was either that or they were minimal and just nice to look at because they gave the nighttime a little bit of light. Spooky's house was the latter, soft amber bulbs placed neatly around the roof with nothing else. A wreath was hung on the big brown front doors, and Blurry could see the faint lights from a tree inside.

His hands tapped rapidly against the fabric of his jeans, eyes staring at the large house from the passenger seat in the car. "Spooky, I fucking hate talking to people."

"I know, Blur. I do too," Spooky said consolingly, placing a hand over the fidgeting one. Blurry exhaled.

"What if they hate me, Spooks? I don't ever go to fancy dinners or anything and I'm scared they'll think I’m rude or nasty or impolite or something."

The taller shook his head. "They're not going to do anything to you, Blurry. You'll be okay."

Blurry looked out the window, worry in his eyes and mouth open. "Yeah, okay."

"Look at me, Blur," Spooky said softly, taking the stained hands in his.

Blurry hummed, meeting the taller's eyes and swallowing. There was a bout of silence, the yellow glow of the lights highlighting their faces dully.

"Don't stress. They're nice during the holidays, you won't do anything wrong. And if you do, my siblings will keep my parents distracted." He spoke sincerely, bringing Blurry's blackened fists up to his lips. Blurryface sighed. 

"You're an absolute sap, you dipshit."

"You have no say, you love it," Spooky replied easily. They distanced, the redhead getting out of the car and leaving the brunet inside for a few seconds. The smaller sighed to himself. He turned around when he saw his boyfriend's stance outside the passenger door, and he locked the doors with a _ click_.

Spooky took notice, immediately looking down and rolling his eyes. He pulled at the door handle once, shaking his head and flipping the boy inside off. "You're funny!" he said.

Blurry cackled, throwing his head back. "You dumbass."

"I'm leaving you here to freeze. Have fun!" Spooky began to walk off, waving. The brunet blinked. 

Blurry scoffed, unlocking the door and running after the other. Spooky turned, smiling and pulling him in closer. "You're such a little shit," Blurry grumbled. 

Spooky replied, "I'm taller than you. Your argument is invalid." 

"Die." 

They made it to the garage door, the paler opening it for Blurry. They entered a hallway off the kitchen, Spooky yelling he was home. His mom met them in the kitchen, the brunet taking a step back, lips in a straight line.

"You must be Blurryface, then?" the woman asked sweetly, and the brunet forced a grin despite hearing the fake tone that the lady used. 

"Yes, ma'am." They shook hands, and Blurry gave her a soft grin. The redhead stayed back, tapping his fingers on his thigh. 

"It's lovely to properly meet you, Blurryface. I’ve seen you around, actually, just never had the time to stop and say hi. I hear you're quite the spectacle."

Spooky grew red, glaring at his mother.

Blurry chuckled, "I'm sure you have."

Spooky was impatient, seeing through his mother’s apparent shit. "We have to get upstairs. Tell us when dinner is ready!"

The woman eyed her son, nodding hesitantly. "Okay. Your siblings are also here, keep in mind."

Spooky Jim rolled his eyes, taking Blurry's hand and dragging him across the house to the stairs. They shared a look before they headed up. Spooky closed the door behind them when they reached his room.

Blurry looked around as he sat down on the other's bed. "So does your mom really think we're going to fuck or something?" The brown-eyed boy only shook his head, walking over to his closet. Blurryface laughed again, "Yes, because who doesn't love getting dicked down on _ Christmas_!" He continued to laugh to himself, completely unaware of what his boyfriend was doing.

In front of him were a cluster of neatly wrapped gifts. Spooky was sat as his desk, watching intently as Blurry laughed, waiting.

"Wait, what the hell?" The brunet's eyes widened at the presents once he calmed down, and he made contact with the other quickly. "I didn't give you permission to do this," Blurryface mumbled. 

"I'm not wasting a perfectly good holiday. It's a great excuse to give you stuff," Spooky countered. 

Blurry was still shocked. "You—“ he sighed, defeated. “Thank you. You did not have to—"

"Be quiet," Spooky rolled his eyes, "you shouldn't be surprised, now open them." 

Blurryface nodded, ripping the first package. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

* * *

By the time he was finished, Blurry was left with a white sweater and green jacket from a high-end brand, a new beanie and journal, and a pair of shiny black laced boots sitting in front of him, surrounded by a bunch of torn wrapping paper. And some black eyeshadow ("You're such a fucking _ ass_, Spooks.").

They hugged, and Blurry's eyes widened as he pulled away. "I also got you something, before I forget."

"Did you now?" Spooky asked, watching as his boyfriend took a small black case out of his back pocket.

Blurry nodded, "It's nothing compared to what you did but I thought you’d like it. I have never bought a gift for anyone in my life."

"That doesn't matter, I'll still enjoy it either way." Spooky took the small gift with ease, clicking the case open to reveal a pair of golden gauges. He smiled, "These are so pretty, Blur. Almost as much as you."

"Shut up," was Blurry's automated response when he reddened.

"I love these, I've been meaning to get a pair for the longest time."

Blurry nodded, "Again, it isn't much at all but, y’know." 

"That doesn't matter, Blur. Thank you." The redhead set them off to the side, cupping the other's face and giving him a quick kiss before turning his head to the sound of his mother's voice. "Dinner's ready," Spooky whispered.

The table was set so formal that Blurryface reconsidered just how well off this family actually was. Neatly placed china and fancy silver utensils lined the wooden dining table, paired with what looked like a high-quality cloth.

He took a seat next to Spooky, and on the other side of him sat,T, who wasn’t impressed with the seating arrangements. Midnight and her boyfriend were across from them with Spooky's dad. His mother was at the end of the table, but she was currently bringing out the food. The food luckily wasn't any different than what Blurry himself usually ate; turkey, a casserole and some steamed vegetables. He was thankful for that. 

"It's nice that Spooky has finally decided to have someone over this year," Spooky’s dad spoke up. Blurry made awkward eye contact with him, and he wasn't far from terrifying. His face was split toned black and white, large eye bags under round silver eyes. He would probably look better if it weren't for the excessive wrinkles, the smile on his face not doing much for his complexion. "Ode," he introduced himself, holding out his hand. It was white with black fingertips, as if dipped in charcoal. 

Blurryface grinned softly, shaking his hand. "Blurryface, sir." Showtime.

"Nice to meet you, Blurryface. Firm shake, nice manners. Your father raised you well." His voice was deep, and it sounded unnervingly calm. Different from the brunet's own father.

"That he did, sir," Blurry's grin never left his face. 

Spooky blinked.

The mother came in finally, removing her apron and taking a seat. "Ode is very heavily involved in his church," she told Blurryface proudly.

"Do you attend church, son?" Ode asked him. 

Blurry flinched at the name, "Every Sunday," he lied. 

"Catholic, Baptist...?"

The red-eyed boy folded his napkin in his lap, "Baptist, sir," he said, knowing that was what his father would want to hear.

"How lovely," Ode remarked, "We are also Baptists! You have a fine friend here, Spooky."

"I'm glad he meets all your demands," replied Spooky through a painfully fake smile. Blurry held back a laugh. 

"I don't suppose you've met Wonder yet, Blurry?" asked Spooky's mother, who Blurry still didn't actually know the name of. 

"No ma'am," the brunet said, looking over to Midnight's supposed boyfriend. The boy had long aquatic hair, greener than Hurricane's, and bright blue lips. He waved softly.

"I'm Wonder," he greeted.

"Blurry."

The rest of the dinner went pretty smoothly, Blurry lying easily to please his boyfriend's parents like it was second nature. He just hoped that they were convincing. It was kind of horrifying, how easily he found himself saying things left and right. It was a mask he was never used to, and even Spooky looked worried and surprised. However, he couldn’t complain because everything was going okay, even if it was awkward and painful and Spooky couldn't hold Blurry's hand because there wasn't a table cloth. It was better than Blurry having an outburst. Plus, the food was good.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Blurryface?"

Blurry almost choked on his water. "No sir," he replied to Spooky’s father, setting the glass down slowly. 

"Shame, neither does Spooky. You two seem close, so maybe you’ll both find some nice ladies together?" Ode suggested.

"Maybe we will," said the tanner, glancing at the other. Spooky's mother broke their gaze.

"They are _ very _ close," she supplied, "he's been over here plenty of times before."

Blurry's eyes went straight to the woman, and they narrowed as he smiled at her. She looked back with the same force, and it was sickly.

"Ah, I've been so busy with the church and my business, so I haven't been able to meet you sooner But I’m glad to have met you now. You seem to have your mind set straight, Blurryface," Ode told him.

Blurry nodded as he cut through his food, "That I do, sir. Thank you." 

Spooky dropped his fork.

* * *

It was no more than freezing outside, the dull smell of chocolate coming from Devotee's kitchen as Black Tear managed to bake cookies for the group on the floor that was occupied by an Uno game. 

"Draw two, hoe!" Devotee yelled, placing the card down as Crimson scoffed, taking two from the deck. Blurry and Spooky were seated next to her, both having only two cards in their hand. Games like this usually got heated between the group, but it wasn't any surprise. It was one of the only things Blurry used to participate in back in freshman year.

"Hey Blurry," Spooky started, satisfaction in his tone, "draw four."

"Eat my fucking ass, Spooks! I hate you." 

Blurryface sighed, accepting loss as he took four (rather shit) cards. Hurricane was next to him, laughing as she put down her card.

"Uno!" 

She ended up winning to nobody's surprise, having held a wild card from the start of the game. They collectively decided on a rematch after Black finished the cookies. Devotee took a seat in Violent Cain's lap much to his protest, and the rest were situated around the living area. Blurry was perched on the sofa with his legs folded next to the redhead.

Spooky frowned, "Why don't you ever sit in my lap, Blur?"

The brunet looked up from his phone, "Your lap is uncomfortable. That's why."

"You'd think that you two still hate each other the way y'all act all the time," said Crimson, a smirk on her pink lips. 

"Blurry is just no fun like Dev and Violent are," the brown-eyed boy responded mockingly. Blurryface smacked his arm, dramatically grabbing it after and draping himself across Spooky's legs, facing the ceiling. Spooky smiled.

"Happy now, jackass?" Blurry asked, a look on his face that was hiding a smile.

"Very." 

"Nasty, go back to hating each other!" Devotee yelled, cupping his mouth. Blurry laughed, the rest of the group amused as well. There was something off about the way Blurry laughed, it was slightly more menacing. Like he didn't mean it. And for the record, he didn’t. 

Hurricane cleared her throat, tapping her nails against the floor. "You're all coming to Menace's party on the 31st, right?"

"I don't have any other choice," Blurry joked, watching as his boyfriend idly played with his hands. 

"Y'all should plan on staying over like me and Violent for once," Devotee exclaimed. "It's fun, plus tons of other people are planning on it too." 

Blurry knew he'd have to talk to Caroline about that, but it didn't necessarily worry the boy. It was so weird, he never really liked parties at all in the first place. Especially with Devotee and Hurricane, he felt like he was going to shitty college parties every Thursday night and he was only 17. Another reason why he wanted to stay away from college.

"I'm down if Blur wants to," the paler said. 

He supposed he wouldn't ponder anymore. "Why not," the red-eyed boy replied sarcastically.

Crimson giggled, "Of course Blurry wants to go, it's a one-way ticket to—"

"Don't finish that, thanks." Blurry spat.

"Hey fools, your fucking gourmet cookies are ready. Eat them or I beat your asses," Black Tear announced, tucking a blonde strip of hair behind her ear.

Blurry shifted himself off of Spooky, about to get up before he was stopped.

"Don't worry, I've got you," the taller smiled, leaving Blurry sitting on the sofa while everyone else flocked to the kitchen. (Minus Devotee, but that was normal because Violent did everything for the blue tinted boy.)

They all returned in a bustle, Crimson moaning overdramatically as she chewed. Blurry chucked, eyeing the second treat being held by the approaching boy.

Spooky held it out at him expectantly, only to have Blurry bob his head forward and bite the cookie out of his hand, catching the other off guard as the tanner smiled. Spooky laughed quietly as Blurryface hummed thanks. He sat down next to the brunet, watching with light eyes as the shorter caught the rest of the cookie with his stained hand.

"Y'all gonna make me sick," Crimson sighed.

"Leave them alone, that was fucking cute!" Violent argued.

Blurry looked at the aqua eyed boy, "Why're you so nice to me?"

Devotee cocked his head slightly. "Because you're not that bad yourself." The group looked at him with bewilderment, even the brunet himself. Spooky on the other hand has his hands thrown out in agreement, eyes wide. 

"Thank you! Understatement of the year."

"You're whipped, Spooky Jim." Black Tear groaned. 

The redhead shrugged, "Maybe I am."

* * *

Caroline is standing in the kitchen, filling out an agenda quietly. Blurry takes in how collected she is, graceful and poised yet focused. He wishes that he could be half the person she was. This, however, doesn't start with him interrupting her.

"Hey," Blurry cleared his throat, walking into the kitchen slowly.

Caroline was quick to take notice of him, smiling and clicking her blue pen shut as she closed the book. "Hi, Blurry. What's up?"

"So I'm going to this New Years thing with my friends, and they're all planning on staying over at the person's house, meaning I am too. Is that alright with you?" Blurry was hesitant wording it, and he didn't exactly know why. Caroline knew his friends took him to parties. She knew he didn't drink or do drugs or have random hook ups. She trusted him with this kind of stuff, yet he didn't know why this in particular made him so worried. He was 17, too.

"Staying over, huh? That's a step up from the other stuff you've done." Caroline folded her arms. "Man, your friends go headfirst into this stuff, don't they?"

"Yeah, it's not my thing really but it sounds fun for what it's worth, y'know?" Blurry looked down at his feet, crossing them.

"I know! It's fine. I just want to make sure you're safe. Considering that you've come home from things like this and it hasn't looked too good."

Blurry knew she was talking about the one night he offered to take Spooky home, way before they ever started any of this. But it was only once, and it wasn't either of their faults, and he knew that Caroline knew because he had told her later. "Yeah. I'll be safe."

"I know you will. I assume Spooky’s taking you?"

Blurry couldn't stop the pink rising to his cheeks, "Yes."

"I trust both of you to be safe, so as long as that's the case, then it’s all good. Just take care of yourselves okay? Don't do anything dumb, make sure you know what's going on around you and all that. You're both good kids." Caroline smiled again.

"So it's good?"

"It's good. Tell me when you're on your way home though, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." Blurry nodded, turning around to walk off.

"Oh, and Blurry?" Caroline leaned around the corner of the wall. "Don't come home pregnant!"

At this point Blurry was red, rolling his eyes, "Oh my _God,_ Caroline."

"Just looking out for you!"

* * *

The party wasn't anything far from Blurry's expectations at all. It was maybe a step up from the usual parties because it was bigger, and there were definitely more people here. The music was loud and the bass was heavy, clusters of people everywhere as normal. Blurry (unfortunately) knew this house well from being here so much, so it didn't take long for him and Spooky to find the group, seated on the L shaped sofa like always. They were met with smiles and loud greets, Spooky pulling the brunet in close.

"What took you little fucks so long?" Devotee asked, his arm wrapped with Violent's.

Hurricane laughed and took a sip of her punch that was probably spiked. "I don't think you wanna ask that!"

"There was a lot of traffic," replied Spooky.

Blurry recalled the long drive, rolling his eyes when Hurricane laughed even louder and added a sarcastic "Sure! Traffic."

Spooky ignored her comment and turned to the other. "Hey, I'm going to go get some drinks, you want something? There should be some water or soda, and I can check if the punch is spiked if you want anything," The redhead spoke close to Blurry, the music was loud and pounding and it helped to make things clearer.

Blurry smiled and shook his head, "I'm good, thanks though."

"Okay." Spooky stood up, turning to Devotee to get what he wanted before pushing through crowds to the kitchen.

"You're so sweet to him," Crimson frowned, "what can I do to get on that level?"

"Suck his dick!" Hurricane joked. This brought a laugh out of the brunet, amused. He had to admit that joking had become lighter now, but he didn't know if that was for better or for worse.

it was easier to talk to these people in this environment, despite the trouble actually trying to hear what they have to say. Maybe it was because Blurry assumer they’d forget what they’d talk about. It was like talking anonymously because everything fuzzed together in the end. They talked more, turns out Black Tear wasn't there because she was out with family and Devotee and Violent Cain did "amazingly" at karaoke earlier. (Blurry highly doubted that.) Nicotine also came up, he got grounded for six months apparently and was now part of a church program. Blurryface almost felt pity for him, but the topic was dropped dead after that so he decided not to think on it anymore. It was useless. At the end of the day, Nicotine made a horrible mistake and there was really nothing he could do about it after he acted on it the way he did. He dug himself into a hole and he wasn’t going to get out of it,

A game of Just Dance started in another room with a giant TV, so as soon as Spooky returned, they all made their way to one of the lounges. More drinks were being distributed there, and Blurry refused them all. When Hurricane begged for him to try some weird peach thing, however, Blurry promised her one sip. And when he did, he didn't like it.

No surprise there.

Spooky laughed at Blurry's distaste, commenting, "You're so funny, Blur. But it's okay." He then kissed the shorter's cheek, causing the boy to blush.

The Just Dance game was entertaining as hell, but then again, drunken, possibly high, dumb teenagers always made for a good time. Born This Way was being blasted through the speakers and it was easy for Blurry to loosen in the sound and let his loud surroundings envelop him.

Eventually, he found himself on the sofa again, looking through all the Snapchat filters with Crimson and letting her post one too many videos of them on to her story. Spooky had gone to get more drinks probably, but it didn't worry Blurry. The boy wasn't that dumb, he didn't think. Alcohol only bothered him with people he didn’t trust.

"Blurryface!"

Speak of the devil.

Blurry looked away from Crimson's phone to see his boyfriend walking over to him excitedly and sitting down. "Hey, Spooks."

Spooky smiled, pulling him in closer and giving him a short kiss. He tasted minty and fruity at the same time. Blurry giggled. At least whatever was at the bar tasted decent.

"Please invite me to your wedding!" exclaimed Crimson, and Blurry looked over to see her phone out and on them, zooming in. Blurryface rolled his eyes, flipping her off.

The red-eyed boy looked back to Spooky, who looked _ very _ happy to see him. "You have stars in your eyes, Blur. You're so pretty!"

"You're tipsy, Spooks, stupid."

"Probably, but it's the truth! Your nickname suits you well!"

Blurry chuckled, and Crimson got up from her seat. "I'll let you two dumbasses be. I'm gonna go play Twister, join if you want!" She walked off, cup in hand.

"Blurry, you're so fun at parties! It's like you're drunk but you don't even drink anything. It's crazy!" Spooky clasped their hands together, playing with them slightly as he kept his eyes on the brunet.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Blurry replied. “It’s because my brain gets shut off,” he grinned. Spooky was a giggly lightweight. It was amusing.

The paler stilled. "Man, I love you so much, Blurryface."

"I love you too, Spooky," Blurry replied easily, smiling.

Suddenly, Spooky's face lit up even more as he gasped. "You never say that!"

This caught the brunet off guard, who blinked slowly. "What?"

"You always say 'love you too' instead of 'I love you too'!"

Blurry realized then what he was saying. Spooky had a point. He rarely ever did add the 'I'. Fuck. That was an issue.

_God,_ he was never going to get over this.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Spooks—"

The brown-eyed boy put a finger over Blurry's lips, shushing him. "It's okay, Blurry! Don't apologize, it's okay, I understand. I know you have a hard time with that stuff and you probably don't even fully know yet, but I'm more than willing to wait. You are the sweetest, prettiest boy I know and I am so lucky. So I'm not gonna let you go, you can take all the time you want, it's worth the wait. You're perfect. I’ll wait the rest of my life for you to be comfortable."

"You're rambling, Spooky," said Blurry, voice soft. Half of what the boy said didn't make all the sense in the world, but it was enough for tonight to reassure the brunet and calm him, even if Spooky was a little tipsy, Blurry knew he wasn’t lying. It was so sweet that Blurry wanted to cry.

"I just have so much to say, Blur. I could talk about you for hours," Spooky told him. Blurry let a grin on his face as he nodded

"I know you could." the brunet replied sincerely. He was blushing heavily at this point, and it was very evident in his cheeks.

"You're so cute when you blush," Spooky cooed. "Wait, I forgot you had a thing for compliments. I'm sorry, I'll save that for later."

Blurry raised his eyebrows, amused. "Later? What all do you have planned tonight, Spooks?"

"Later!" the other confirmed. "And I don’t know. We’ll see.” He paused. “Wait, can you even have consensual sex if I’m intoxicated?”

“_Spooky_.”

“Ok, we’ll figure that one out at some point. Now c'mon, let's go to, it's almost 12!"

Right. New Years. The younger stood up with his boyfriend, letting Spooky lead him to the room where the rest of their friends most likely were. Spooky had a slight bounce in his step, and Blurry sighed. "You're such a fucking lightweight." He wondered how many other parties Spooky had acted like this, and how sad it was that he had missed the opportunity to laugh at the redhead during them.

Each room was more crowded than the other, yet somehow a tipsy Spooky was able to find the others, spread out in a corner with some drinks in hand. Devotee waved wildly at Blurryface when he saw him, and Blurry gave a more timid wave back.

Holding out a cup, Devotee nudged Spooky, "Someone put fucking liquor in the punch! It's so good!"

"I'm good, thank you," Spooky replied simply, hanging onto Blurryface's hand.

"You boys missed out on a great game of spin the bottle," Hurricane sighed, her words were slightly slurred.

"I'm glad I did," Blurry responded.

“I hate spin the bottle," Spooky frowned.

A minute countdown started later, and the entire room grew louder in chanting as they got closer and closer to 0.

When it got to ten, it got even louder now that most everyone was counting. Blurry felt like his senses were being heightened, but it was most likely the adrenaline running through literally everyone there. Everything was loud and heavy, but he felt like he was floating.

"_Happy New Year! _"

Everyone erupted into cheers, and Blurry was happily pulled into a slow kiss, His entire body felt lighter as he smiled, kissing back lightly. He was in a good mood.

"Happy New Year, Blur!" Spooky grinned once they pulled apart, cupping Blurryface's cheek.

"Happy New Year, Spooks," Blurry responded quietly, face bright.

"Fuck, 2018 is already a shitty year. I had to start it with watching them fucking kiss each other, damn it." Hurricane grumbled. Blurry knew she was fucking with them.

“You’re just mad because nobody’s kissing your ass,” Blurry told her. She laughed.

30 minutes and one karaoke session of Tainted Love later, the two boys found themselves huddled together on a couch, Spooky Jim running his hand through Blurry's soft and dark hair. Blurry had found that he actually didn’t mind parties if he got to spend time with Spooky. Everyone would forget anything he did and he didn’t have to worry about anything bothering him. However, despite everything going alright, he was exhausted. "I'm tired, Spooky," Blurry mumbled.

"Okay, sweet boy. C'mon, let's find you a place to rest." Spooky took Blurry's hand, standing him up. Luckily, Young Menace was in eyeshot and it wasn't hard to get to him.

As they were walking over, Spooky whispered, "Can I carry you?"

"No!" Blurry whispered back.

"Sad day..."

Menace was around people neither of the two knew (luckily), and he was so unfortunately wasted that he was happy to see them. "Blurry! Spooky! Gays of the hour! Glad to see both of you two fuckers! Don't tell Party I said that. Y'all need anything?"

Blurry bit back some laughter at what he said. He hated people. "Somewhere to fuckin' crash."

Menace had a glint in his eyes. Blurry braced himself for what was about to come. "Aight, there's a guest room upstairs, second door to your left once you go down the hallway. En suite bathroom, lube, condoms, all that good shit! Have fun!"

"T-thanks." Blurry sputtered, face hot. Spooky giggled, and then they were off again. Past the kitchen, Blurry grabbed an empty cup off of an unused stack on his way, clutching it till he got to the room.

The room was dark and spacious, moonlight and colorful flashing lights could be seen outside from the window, curtains pulled back. Blurry stopped abruptly.

He’d been here before. He remembered this room. He remembered the wall his back was against and the many Oreo crumbles on the bed. This was the room where Blurry realized he was truly fucked. It was so overwhelming that he completely stopped in his tracks, leaving Spooky to walk on, oblivious for once. It wasn't all that long ago that it happened, and it felt like someone stabbed Blurryface in the chest. But that didn't really matter right now. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and intrusive memories. He couldn’t render whether it was good or bad.

While Spooky took his hat off and was kicking his shoes off, Blurryface made his way to the bathroom and filled the cup up with tap water from the sink. His hair was a little messy from where the redhead played with it.

Exiting the bathroom, he could see the other taking his sweater and shirt off. Blurry refrained from staring, instead walking over to the boy and handing him the cup. "S'water. Drink up."

"Thanks." Spooky tilted his head. "Why do people get so dehydrated when they drink?'

"You lose the water in your system," Blurry replied, sitting down. "The alcohol gets rid of the water in your body faster, so you have to replenish it."

Spooky hummed as he sipped. "You're right." I

t didn't take long for the shorter to get undressed and settled in the bed. The blanket was nice and warm. Spooky was behind a little, folding the clothes and setting them on a chair that sat against a wall. Menace was right— there was a nightstand drawer open that indeed held lube and whatnot. The brown-eyed boy closed it before climbing in the bed next to his boyfriend, snuggling close and intertwining their legs. Blurryface looked up as Spooky traced his thumb lightly down the brunet's face. "Your eyes look really pretty highlighted by the light like this," the older said softly. He giggled, "They just lightened up."

Blurry sighed, "I'm glad my eyes can entertain you."

"It's the first thing I noticed about you."

"Really now?"

"Yeah, remember? It was the first day I ate lunch with you guys, and Devotee was like 'That's Blurryface, he's a little bitch," and then I was super quiet, but I coughed or something and you looked up at me, and you had the brightest eyes ever and I was lowkey scared. And then I noticed the rest of your face and got mad because there wasn't one person in that group who wasn't attractive. And then I accidentally said you were attractive out loud, and you said thanks and the entire group flipped their shit because you never talked."

"I remember that," Blurry told him. "I had no care in the world about who you were, but as soon as you said that, I decided it would be funny to fuck with everyone. And then I went back to not giving two shits. I remember thinking about how the shape of your eyes matched the color of them."

"Really?" Spooky gasped.

Blurry nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm so glad we don't hate each other anymore."

"Me too." The brunet snuggled in closer, head placed on the other's chest. He could feel the vibration of the bass and the laughs downstairs, but the slow breathing of the boy beside him as well. It was oddly comforting. “You know, I think I actually had fun tonight,” Blurry hummed.

“Really?” Spooky questioned. “Blurryface having fun at parties? Crazy shit.”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, come back up here,” the taller whispered, Blurry looked up and moved back a little and further up so they were face to face. Spooky put a thumb under his chin. “How do you feel right now?”

“Good. I feel good,” Blurry whispered hesitantly.

“Yeah?” Spooky smiled, kissing the other with soft lips. Blurry felt like the breath had been knocked out of him. “That’s good. You think we’ll be okay?”

Blurry’s eyes brightened. “I think we’ll be okay.”

“Last time we were here, I don’t think you did. Character development.”

So he _ did _remember. That bastard.

“You’re right. But I do now.”

Spooky sighed, "I love you, Blur."

"I love you too, Spooks."

_I._

* * *

January flew by at full speed, and every day Blurryface stepped into the school building he swore a little bit of him died. The counselors were up the student's asses about getting into college, and refraining from getting into fights. Finals were only a few months off, and Valentine's Day was nearing. They'd already discussed this— Valentine's Day was stupid as fuck, just an attention scheme and an excuse for single straight people to order pizza and get off on their free time. Nothing special, and they could really care less.

Right now, Blurry was sitting in the mandatory junior meeting that was being held in the gym, meaning half of his lunchtime was being taken away today so teachers could shove college information down his throat until he choked and died. It was filling up rather quickly, and the brunet was able to spot Spooky's class walking in.

**pretty boy**

get your ass over here

if i die during this at least i won't be alone

**spooks**

i'm honored

k me and crim are coming over now

**pretty boy**

hurry

Blurry caught the older's dark brown eyes in the crowd, and he and Crimson made their way up to the bleacher row Blurry was on. Crimson smiled and waved as she slid next to the redhead.

"Smile for the camera!" the girl teased, holding her phone out.

Neither of the boys smiled, instead staring dead at the camera with a bored expression.

"Photogenic assholes," said Crimson. She captioned the Snapchat, Spooky watching as she sent it on to her story as usual.

The assembly was just as boring as everyone expected. The counselors and staff talked over-excitedly about graduation, scholarships and colleges like it was Christmas. Blurryface almost contemplated taking a nap on Spooky's shoulder.

He didn't want to go to college. He never did. He didn't know want the fuck kind of job he was going to have, but he was pondering getting one soon. That was it. On the other hand, he knew Spooky wanted to go. That made him think. What would happen when the redhead left for college? Was he going to go out of state to some college that held parties every night? Would he attend a local college? What would happen to them?

Would they break up after high school just in time for Spooky to find another person that was just as good or attractive as Blurry was? Or would they move in together and live the rest of their lives out?

That was just unrealistic.

Five thousand other scenarios passed through his mind during the rest of the meeting. This was just another way to get the boy stressed out as hell. His mind hurt and time stopped, he completely blanked. He hated how gullible he was. He hated how he was so realized.

Nothing new.

"Blur, c'mon." Blurry looked up to see Spooky standing over him, an expectant look on his face. The red-eyed boy blinked, taking the paler's outstretched hand and standing up, sighing. Crimson walked out with them even though Blurry didn't have class with them right now. When they reached the doorway, however, the two boys were brought aside by a counselor.

"Blurryface and Spooky Jim, correct?" she said, her eyes flashing down to their clasped hands. They met the two boys soon after.

Noticing the lady's eyes, Spooky smiled faux sweetly and held a tighter lock on Blurry's hand. "Yes, ma'am."

"I'm going to need you two to come to my office for a second."

* * *

Blurry sat next to Spooky in the counselor's office quietly, watching as she typed on her computer.

"You two are quite the pair," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Multiple students and witnesses have informed me of the multiple verbal and physical fights that have gone on this year involving both of you, as well as many accounts of PDA on campus. Let's start with the one fight that happened mid-August, outside in the parking lot."

Blurry froze. "He was attacked by a girl's boyfriend. Don't put the blame on him."

"Can you please elaborate, Blurryface? I've heard from the witnesses that there was a...party beforehand?"

Blurry nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Did something happen at this party that initiated the fight?"

The brunet's face went stone cold. "I'm not at liberty to tell you what happened at that party, ma'am." He sounded angry. Blurryface looked to the redhead, who was looking down at his hands.

"It's fine. You can tell her."

Blurry exhaled slowly. "He was... assaulted. By a female student. That night. I was able to stop it—"

"You don't have to say anything else," the woman sighed, "that's enough. So the female's boyfriend found out somehow and then proceeded to attack Spooky, and then Blurryface, you stepped in."

"The blame was flipped," Spooky added. "The girl made it sound like I was the one who approached her when it was the other way around. You should know, she got suspended for a week."

"Right, sure," the counselor said. "So why did you interfere with this fight, Blurry?"

"Because he was being attacked, damn it!" Blurry yelled, eyes almost neon. His breathing was heavy, and the counselor gave him a language warning. "I'm sorry," he lowered his voice. "He was physically hurt and defenseless. I had to stop it or he would've gotten hurt even worse."

"Did you hit the other student?"

"No ma'am, I did not. I just yelled at him."

"So you threatened him?"

"Yes ma'am, I did," Blurry said firmly. "We never saw each other again, end of story."

"Okay, so verbal harassment." The lady typed it down on her computer. "You know that it is better to just pull people out of fights rather than join, correct?"

"I was defending a victim!" Blurry answered feverishly.

"Don't talk back to me, Blurryface."

The shorter of the two sat back in his chair, defeated.

"Next, correct me if I'm wrong, there was a verbal fight that happened in the beginning of November in the main hall, involving you two and another female student?" This lady knew everything. "What was this about?"

"The girl was just being inappropriate. And then Blurry came up, like he should, to try and get her to go away, and she didn't listen. So he started yelling," Spooky told the lady. Blurryface shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"And are you two... partners?"

"He's my boyfriend, yes. Is there a problem with that, ma'am?" Spooky corrected her. His voice was passive-aggressive.

"No, not at all. We support everyone here."

"So, excuse me," Spooky interrupted, "but if you support everyone here," he lowered his tone, "where were you when Blurry was passed out on the floor of a bathroom all alone, no teachers or staff or anything? After a kid had harassed him, called him a fag and left him to fall on the ground practically unconscious? Another fucking student found him and I had to come and stay until I knew he was okay and nobody was there beforehand. If it was any worse, he could have gotten a concussion.”

"Oh dear, I wasn't aware of this. Do you know the name of the other student involved?" The counselor actually looked concerned this time.

What a fucking school.

"No ma'am, I don't. It's not like he stayed around with Blurryface, I mean come on!" Spooky was pissed.

"Calm yourself, Spooky. I'll try and get that figured out. Now, can we talk about something else? I'm not done yet."

Blurryface felt like shit. "Sure."

"I've had many people report multiple accounts of inappropriate PDA between the both of you, and I'm sorry to say that this kind of behavior needs to stay at home."

Now the brunet wanted to laugh. "We've literally kissed maybe once or twice. We don't do anything more than that, ma'am."

"Yes, but still—"

"May I ask you a question, Miss?" Spooky piped up. Blurry looked over to the other boy and still looked upset.

"Sure thing, Spooky." The counselor clasped her hands. She sounded tired

"How many other couples have you had this conversation with? Straight, preferably."

The woman looked dumbfounded as she cleared her throat. "None so far, I don't think."

Spooky let out a laugh, "Do you know how many guys I pass daily that are busy sucking some girl's face off? And I give one kiss on the cheek to my boyfriend and you call us out on it?"

"I haven't seen anyone do that, Spooky. I'll keep my eye out."

"I'm sure you will, they're hard to miss. Just leave us alone, please." Spooky smiled again.

"I'm going to need you to cut the attitude, young man. I'm doing everything in my power to make this school better and I can't do that when you're getting yourselves involved in fights and arguments every month. You're lucky I can't suspend you two. And I'm sorry, but before you get extremely protective next time to the point where a fight starts, you just need to remember that you're both very young, and this is high school. Chances are, you'll go to college and something may happen. This isn't forever, and it's hard to change that, as only 2 percent of relationships that start in grade school last until marriage."

Blurry didn't want anything more than to leave this office. This hurt. This hurt because the dumb bitch was right. She was right, and everything was probably going to go to shit. Blurry had just been shoving it aside. He began to think.

He was only seventeen years old. Seventeen and head over heels for a boy from school. Seventeen and sure of his future. Seventeen and deciding he was in love even after only dating for not even a year. They would get out of school and then what? The end of the road?

Blurryface felt sick.

Spooky looked highly offended, and he almost stood up before the brunet stuck his arm out in a flash, stopping him.

"I'm sorry, but it's real life, boys. Now, as for your punishment. School rules state I cannot suspend you if I was not a witness, and we don't have strong enough evidence. But that doesn't mean you won't get out of this. Detention for both of you until the end of the year. Separate rooms, just to ensure you two don't try anything." She collected forums that the two had reluctantly signed earlier stating none of the information was to be spoken outside of the office and whatever, gathering them on her desk and pushing her oversized glasses up her nose. "You two don't need passes or anything, the detention administration already knows who both of you are."

Spooky had a death glare headed straight her way, and Blurry was frozen, alarmed and trying to keep his breathing steady. Spooky squeezed his hand reassuringly, and Blurry blinked, lips parted.

"Is that all?" Spooky mumbled.

"Yes, sir. You're both free to go, I'll email your teachers late passes." She waved them off. Spooky was quick to get up, taking Blurry with him, who narrowed his red eyes at the woman as they left.

Once they were out in the hall, out of the way of the office, Spooky Jim walked a few halls away to find one of the most vacant bathrooms, closing the door behind him. Blurryfae was dead silent. He stopped and turned directly to his boyfriend, who averted his gaze. "Blurry, look at me."

They hesitantly met eyes.

"You know she's just trying to scare you. She just doesn't want us to continue doing shit. You know that right? Her words mean nothing."

"But she's right, shit like this doesn't last, Spooky," Blurry replied in a broken voice. He sounded so afraid, and he was.

"No, it does. It does if we try, and I will give everything I fucking can, okay? Don't let what that woman said get to you. It's not worth it." Spooky took both of the boy's hands, bringing them to his face.

"No, it's not worth it," Blurry repeated.

"But you are worth everything to me, Blur. I'm not letting anything happen to us anytime soon." His words were sincere, and they were safe. Blurry felt safe, but he also felt hollow and betrayed. Betrayed by his thoughts, betrayed by his blindness. He never _realized._

"You are too," he whispered. "I don't want anything...anything to happen."

"Neither do I. I love you, Blurry."

"I know. I love you too." Hollow.

They kissed shortly, and it was soft and Blurry let it happen because he was so numb at this point and he needed this. It was grounding, things like this made him happier. "She said no PDA, Spooky."

"Fuck what she says, we're in a bathroom, no one can see us. I'd kiss you every second of the day if you wanted me to." The older sighed, watching the emotion flow slowly through Blurry's eyes in the form of a subtle shade change. "Now, we gotta get to class. I don't want you in trouble."

"Don't want you in trouble either," Blurry replied. They left the bathroom. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah. See you later, pretty boy." Spooky walked backward as he talked.

"Bye."

* * *

Blurry didn't get the text until he left school, after detention (where his phone was collected).

**caroline**

I had to take an emergency trip four hours south, I won't be home until very early tomorrow morning. There's food in the fridge, and your father should be busy with work stuff. I'll see you in the morning! Love you x

He didn't respond. He was pissed off. As if his day wasn’t already fucking awful enough.

He needed to fucking talk to Caroline, but guess what he couldn't do? Blurry didn't know what to do in the first place. He wasn't talking to Spooky, he wasn't talking to anyone. He wanted to talk to his stepmother.

Blurry figured the only option to this was to go home and cry it out.

To his luck, Gold was able to take him home because she too had detention. Of course, she was put in the same room as Spooky instead of her brother, and only God knows what she talked to the redhead about.

"Let's go, Blurry, stop looking at your dumb phone!" Gold urged, an annoyed look on her face.

"You're one to fucking talk," Blurry grumbled back.

"I had to sit through you kissing your stupid boyfriend before he left and now you're staring at your phone. Come on. What happened now?" Gold whined.

"Caroline isn't going to be home tonight. And I'm upset." Blurry argued.

"Shit," Gold whispered. "Let's go. We don't want to be late, Dad's already gonna kick our ass because the school called him and told us we have detention, and Caroline isn't there to knock him out of his head."

Blurry's head snapped up. "What do you mean the school called him?"

"They call the parent whenever you get detention and tell them why and stuff," Gold told the boy like it was obvious. "You didn't know that?"

"Fuck no, I haven't had detention since freshman year," Blurry's eyes widened. "Come on."

They ran to the car, Blurry in the driver's seat. He wasn't even buckled before he started shaking his head.

"What is it now, Blurryface?"

"I can't go home." Blurry muttered.

Gold met his eyes. "Blurry, you have to."

Blurry choked. "No I can't, he's going to fucking murder me! He's—"

"What? Why? What'd you get detention for?"

"What do you think?" Blurry hissed.

Gold shrugged, starting the engine. "I don't know... having sex or something?"

"I'm not that nasty you dumbass. The counselor lady got on to me for getting into fights and 'showing PDA'. And I'm gay and he's religious. He's going to beat my ass." He spoke in a bitter tone, putting air quotes around "showing PDA".

Gold furrowed her eyebrows. "PDA... it is kind of nasty, Blurry."

"Yeah, but that's because I'm your brother! Don't you think the straight couples fucking moaning in the hallways is any worse?"

"I mean..." she started, "I guess you have a point." The car's digital screen came on, and Gold caught the time. "Shit, Blurryface, we gotta go. Now."

"I know," Blurry whispered.

* * *

It was silent when they got home. Eerie. Gold shut the door behind them, dropping her backpack at the base of the staircase.

"Gold," there was a low grumble coming from the office. "You're grounded. Go to your room."

"Yes, sir!" The girl ran.

"Blurryface, get your ass in here. Right now."

Blurry gulped. His world was about to single-handedly end right here. "Yes, sir." He walked into the room, breathing slowly.

His father sat at his desk, and he didn't look drunk. Even still, is grey skin looked horrible, the grey hair on his head not looking any better. White eyes stared straight at red ones. "What the hell were you thinking, Blurryface?"

"I'm sorry, sir."

"No you aren't. Sit your ass down." He rolled his chair around to face the boy. "What did I tell you about that fucking _ boy _of yours?"

"I don't remember." Blurry's voice was scratchy.

"You do know, son, that that dumbass boy only wants to hurt you, right?"

"That's wrong," Blurry replied quickly.

"No, it isn't. You know what boys like that do? They fucking hurt people. He wants to ruin you. You fucking kids don't love each other. You have no fucking idea what love is." He took his glasses off.

"That's also not true," Blurry argued. "You can't stop me from seeing him."

"Maybe not, but maybe I can convince you. Because what you’re doing is not natural and you sure as hell don’t know what it’s like to love somebody. Not like that," Blurry's father replied coolly.

Blurry's eyes were angered, an alarm-like red. "How do _ you _know? Oh, wait, you can't, because my mom fucking left you and I am sure as hell you don't love Caroline."

"I know _ because _of your mother, Blurryface. You know, I thought she was everything. I based my entire life around her, when she told me she had kids on the way I didn't object because I trusted her to care for you. Give you a good life. And then, what did she do? She fucking left because she didn’t love me anymore. Or you, or any of your siblings.. And you're right. I don't love Caroline. She's here because you need care. But now, she's starting to leave too, on that job of hers. Love like that is not fucking real for people like us. Not for my son. You're being betrayed every day and you don't know it. Not only that, but you're practicing sin while doing so. You are a child, Blurryface. You don’t fucking understand. People, Blurryface, people betray us and leave us to die and God lets them because we need to be put in check. Your mother fucking left, Blurryface. She’s gone. She betrayed me. If you're spending all of this time with that stupid boy, you’re wasting your life and just waiting for him to leave you the fuck alone too. I’m surprised you even managed to get someone to manipulate you like that because you’re a disgrace."

No. That wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Spooky wasn’t manipulating him. But it was so, so real. This had happened to other people.

This was going to tear him apart. This wasn't safe. But he didn't want to quit. He couldn’t. He knew this was bullshit. He had to.

Blurryface gulped. "Leave me alone. _ Please. _Why can't you suck it up that you just had a shitty life? I'm not you. I never will be. You're just jealous because I have a good life, aren't you?"

"I'm not jealous, I'm protecting you from failure!"

"You're _abusing_ me!"

"I am protecting you, Blurryface! Don't fucking argue with me!"

This was it. Blurry stood up hastily as a tear slipped down his face. "Fuck this! I fucking hate you, you piece of shit! You shouldn't have a say, goddamnit! I am not you!"

He didn't let his father say another word before he ran off, slamming one of the office doors shut before he slammed his own bedroom door shut not soon after.

He knew it was a lie. He knew it was all a lie. Blurryface fucking _ knew _he would be okay.

So why was he not? Why were there tears rolling down his face? Why was everything he'd ever done in the past months flashing before his eyes, checking for false things?

"Blurry...?"

"Go away! I don't fucking care who you are, go away!"

So much bliss, only to lead to so much falling. This is what he gets.

* * *

Spooky knew that counselor had fucked Blurry over, but he never even thought about what the fuck his dad would do to the poor boy when the school called him and told him Blurry got detention for ‘showing various amounts of PDA with his boyfriend and getting involved in various fights.

Because that's exactly what they called Spooky's mom to tell yesterday afternoon.

And after a long half-hour of lectures and yelling (which his dad was luckily not a part of, Spooky thought his mother was honestly afraid of her husband), the brown-eyed boy could only imagine what was happening in Blurryface's household.

Which is why when Blurry didn't show up that next morning for school, Spooky was using his second and last family emergency excuse.

"You had a family emergency back in November, didn't you? Can I ask what it is this time?" asked the clerk.

"A very severe mental breakdown is happening and I'm the only one that can take care of it," Spooky rushed out. He knew if he said "boyfriend" it wouldn't classify as family, but something more insane like "husband" or whatever would be much worse. So he did what he could and just decided to not name drop.

"Alright, please return if you can."

"I'll see, I promise, ma'am."

Spooky was out the door in under thirty seconds.

**Spooky**

where is blurry

**caroline**

He's in the bathroom right now. I took all of his pills and his razor away so he can't be doing anything like that but I don't know what happened. His father must've done something. I cant get in, I think he's still in the shower and he keeps mumbling for me to go away.

Are you leaving school?

**Spooky**

i have family emergency leave.

don't tell him i'm coming. i cant worry him like that, it'll make things worse

is your husband there?

**caroline**

Okay. I'll try and get him to respond.

No, he's at work

**Spooky**

ok

thank you.

The drive to Blurry's was like it always was— either extremely happy or extremely worried. It was not the latter.

The door was unlocked, making it easy for Spooky to enter and hurry up the stairs as quickly as he could. Caroline was in Blurry's room, standing by the door that lead to the tiny bathroom connected to the bedroom. Spooky could hear running water.

Caroline hugged Spooky first. She was tall for a woman, but her body was soft and welcoming. "He woke up late. I asked what happened with his father, and he didn't give me a good answer. He just said 'things'. And I'm thinking they were about you. He won't let me in, and I'm afraid he's in the shower because the water is running, so I'll let you go in if you can get the door open."

"Got it," Spooky said, voice cracking.

"Caroline, who are you talking to?" came the voice from inside the bathroom. It sounded scratchy and unused. Spooky's face dropped.

"It's me, Blur, I gotta come in."

"No," Blurry said, dreadfully. Like he was scared for what was going to come.

"Blurry, I have to," Spooky said against the door, "You're gonna be okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Why are you here, Spooky?"

"Because I need to make sure you're okay, and you're not," Spooky answered truthfully.

"Have fun getting in," Blurry mumbled.

"I will," Spooky replied confidently. He reached for the coin bank on top of the brunet's dresser, shaking it and getting a penny in return. Unlocking the door was easy.The sight inside was not.

Blurry sat stone still in his bathtub, looking down at his wet skin confusedly as the shower ran over him like a soft rain. iIt fell over his eyelashes and clumped on his skin in puddles. The water looked like a sheer silk draping over the brunet's stone still expression, bare skin static and exposed. The shower curtain wasn't closed, meaning the water from the shower was dripping outside of the tub too. Blurryface did nothing to fix this. It was terrifying how delicate it all looked.

"Jesus Christ, Blur, you're going to flood the fucking bathroom," Spooky stressed in a quiet tone, closing the door behind him and kneeling at the tub, turning the water off.

The taller could hear the drain running as he looked at Blurry. "Come on, we need to get you out. And dry."

Blurryface was shaking from being cold, and a tear dropped down his face. "I'm so sorry, so sorry."

"It's okay, Blurry. Don't worry, you have nothing to be sorry for. Can I help you get out?" The red-eyed boy's head spun and his eyes brightened. Spooky's voice was everything good to Blurryface, it was slow and careful, calming. He let himself get lost in it, despite being scared of what was to come after he willingly let himself slip into a state of nothingness and stay there.

The brunet nodded slowly.

Spooky stood up, grabbing Blurry's wet, black hand and pulling him up, holding the boy's bare waist in case he slipped. His concerned brown eyes never left the boy's face. The shorter stepped out slowly, and the other grabbed a towel from below the sink and sat it on the toilet so that Blurry had a dry place to sit.

"I'm going to get you some clothes, stay right here. Don't move." Spooky left the bathroom, locking eyes with Caroline's light green ones and nodding to let her know her son was okay. He grabbed a shirt, sweatpants and underwear from the boy's drawers, entering the bathroom again slowly. "Okay, I don't want you to slip, so I'm gonna help you with your clothes. I won't touch, promise." Spooky's voice was shaking slightly from his past fear, but it didn't seem to matter to Blurry. The boy nodded and thanked him.

After drying him off, it was easy for the redhead to get Blurry dressed. The paler took off his own sweater so his boyfriend could warm up faster, slipping the soft material over Blurryface's seemingly frail arms instead. They were far from frail, just chilled and limp.

"You're going to get cold." Blurry's voice was deep and quiet.

"I'm fine, Blur. Come on, Caroline is waiting for you."

"I let her down," Blurryface whispered.

"You didn't let anyone down, it's okay," Spooky tried to reassure the boy, gently leading him out of the small room.

Caroline, with a melancholy frown, was quick to take Blurry in her arms, running her hands in his damp hair slowly as she whispered. "Blurry, oh love, what did he do to you?"

Blurry just shook his head in her embrace.

"Okay, let's sit you down okay? We need you to talk."

Blurry was placed between the other two, Spooky on his right and Caroline seated to his left. The boy was circling his thumb around the other's stained hand while the mother had a hand placed gently on his shoulder.

"Do you want me here while you talk?" Spooky asked the brunet.

"Yes." Blurry kept his head down.

"Okay." 

"What did he say, Blurry?" Caroline asked, trying to make eye contact.

"Just...just a bunch of stupid shit. Told me I was getting manipulated and that I didn't know what I was doing or that I shouldn't love anyone and shit like that. I don't know what it means. Why would he say that to me, Caroline?" Blurry's voice was hard. Confused. "Why does he hate me so much?"

"He's a selfish tragedy, Blurry. He's fearful. Of you. And what you're doing with your life. Not because he's scared of what's going to happen, but because he knows you're in love. And he's upset that you have a life he never will. That's why. Vessel will never ever experience what you're going to. Hes sick, too. Half the time he doesn't know what he's saying."

"Why did you marry him then? That was a horrible—" Blurry got cut off quickly.

"It was the best decision I've ever made." Caroline was quick to defend herself. "Do you know why?"

"No."

"Because it means I have you and your siblings in my life. And if I wasn't married to him, or if I divorced him, I may never see you again. And it means you may never see Spooky again. And I can't have that. I swear, if I could change his behavior, I would do it in a heartbeat." The woman had a sad tone, but she kept a calm face. Easy. Peaceful.

"Okay."

"I'm going to go call your father, stay here with Spooky, okay?" Caroline gave the boy a side hug before she got up.

"Yes, ma'am."

Blurry and Spooky were left alone, the brunet shifting so he could be closer to his boyfriend. Contact was important.

"I really am sorry. I shouldn't've scared you like that. I think I'm going to ruin us. I know you want something normal and you don't want to worry about me and I'm sorry I'm fucking us up so much even though I thought I was okay, but I guess I'm not—"

"You're not going to ruin us." The redhead's voice was firm. "I would go to the end of the line for you, okay? Don't worry about me, I know you're trying and that's what matters, okay? I trust you." Spooky brought Blurry's chin up.

"If you trust me, then why did you show up here?" Blurry placed his hand over the one under his chin.

"Because I got scared," Spooky replied. "And you were in trouble, so I had to help. Can't leave you to just suffer.”

"I'm sorry. I feel like I can't control anything." Blurryface's voice was soft now.

"I wish I could take things out of that mind of yours," Spooky whispered.

"I think I'll be okay. I hope."

"Everything will be okay in the end."

They kissed then, and Spooky could feel the brunet sigh against him. He was scared for the future, but he had to be there for the other at all times, no matter what the cost was. He just hoped Blurry could come to a realization about the validity of his feelings.

That day wouldn't be today.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

With each week that passed (and constant reassurance from Spooky), Blurry increasingly got better. One of the realer talks he had came from Crimson Curse out of all people.

They sat in a library, working on their last essay. They were both on "Influences in the Music Industry: How a Click Can Change a Life."

"You know he really fucking loves you, right?" Crimson piped up, chewing her bubblegum softly.

Blurry narrowed his eyes, "What? Where the fuck did that come from?"

"I know I say y'all are nasty and that I hate both of you all the time, but it's all just a joke. I dunno," she said innocently, "I just see so many relationships every single damn day and they all look fucking dumb compared to what I have to witness at lunch!" She giggled, "Y'all are really wildin'."

Blurryface blinked. "Okay?"

"I could never love Hurricane," she told him. "she fucks around with too many other little shits. Can't even keep count. And I see so many dumb school couples that claim they actually know what love is! It's so fucking funny because guess what?!" She stopped, expecting an answer.

"What," Blurry deadpanned. He looked bored.

"They don't actually love each other!" She giggled again.

"Are you high or something?"

"No, just talking. You look kinda...sadder recently so I’m trying to cheer you up," Crimson shrugged, turning back to the crappy laptop and looking up an article. "I'm serious though. Y'all somehow went from hating each other to _ 'Fuck yeah man! I'd murder a hoe for you_!' and that takes a ton of work, Blurry."

The brunet let out a small, unbelievable laugh at her wording. She kept talking.

"These other people put no thought into it. They kiss, hook up and say they can feel stars, but they don't know the half of it. They don't actually understand one another. I don't know what it takes to understand what the ever living hell is in that dark and edgy brain of yours, but Spook knows, and he knows it well."

Crimson was extremely well-practiced in the art of multitasking. While her fingers typed away on the keyboard, her mouth just kept moving in a quiet voice. Blurry kept on listening, with nothing better to do (and no way to get out of this). "For example, when some dude's girl is fuckin' depressed, he'll play it off, get mad and say they're being moody and 'unloyal'. Then, he'll have the audacity to go fuck another chick! But when you get all depressed, Spooky's over here skipping class and shit so he can sing you to sleep and feed you chocolates! God, I'd give anything for that to happen to me." Crimson rolled her eyes. "With a girl, obviously."

Blurry nodded idly, letting her continue.

"Another thing is when y'know, some girl lets out all her feelings to her boyfriend and shows him her secret diary, he then goes out behind her back to tell all of his shitty friends that she shit her pants last Tuesday! And they all laugh! But, when you show Spooky your little black journal that has all those emo ass song lyrics and endless sentences that are all like _ 'My life fucking sucks!"_, Spooky doesn't come running to tell us that you felt like a psychopath last Friday, y'know? He guards that shit with his life. Then he goes and fights anyone that tries to get into shit with you, even if they’re in the right.”

The girl allowed herself to breathe. Blurryface didn't know how she could continue on for so long without pausing for oxygen breaks. He kept his attention on her.

"You know that 2% thingy? With the high school relationships?"

Blurry knew it well and wondered if Crimson knew all that happened the other day. She couldn’t have. She was just in the right place at the right time with that phrase. "Unfortunately."

"Well, it isn't unfortunate! Y'all are definitely gonna be a part of that two percent. It just happens that the both of you pretentious cunts aren't really all that nice. But it works I guess."

Blurryface wondered if this girl would ever shut up. But even with that said, Blurry was starting to actually believe her. She had semi-decent examples, and he assumed she was speaking from experience. Plus, she took time out of her day to try and make Blurry feel better, whereas everyone else would probably just tease him or brush it off. She was like that.

"Long story short," she finished. _ Finally_. "I don't know what the fuck you do in bed to make Spooky Jim go over the damn moon and back for you, but whatever it is, it works like a charm. Never stop. And anyone who tells you anything else is obviously lying!"

Blurryface choked on air, cheeks red. "O-okay."

"Aw, see, you're blushing! And all this time I thought were an asshole!"

"Please shut the fuck up."


	7. VII: Chokehold

"I can't believe today is our last fucking day of school."

"We literally have finals the next three days you dumb fuck," Devotee deadpanned to his boyfriend, looking at him like he had three heads.

"Okay, so today's our last _ full _ day,” he clarified. “We're gonna be seniors next year, I'm gonna fucking die," Violent replied back. "Not gonna lie, I'm going to miss you little shits."

"You act like summer doesn't exist. “We’re gonna hang out like, all the time," Devotee rolled his eyes.

"I can't wait to sit around and do jackshit," Blurry folded his arms.

"Damn, can I join you?" Spooky joked. He sounded tired. The brunet didn't blame him.

Hurricane laughed "If by jackshit, you mean fucking each other, I get i—"

"You're on my hit list," sneered Blurry. Spooky threw his head back, letting a smile come to his lips as he laughed.

"This year was fucking insane, though, like there was so much shit that went down that it's funny." Devotee shook his head.

"I'm just glad I passed," Spooky sighed.

"Yeah, me too, especially since you had Blurry's dick in your m—"

Blurryface chucked a plastic silverware knife towards the blue-haired girl. She squeaked.

"God, I fuckin' hate you," Blurry muttered. Crimson was next to Hurricane, giggling.

"Y'all are actually gonna fucking kill each other," Violent Cain raised his eyebrows

"If she keeps this up, it'll be done before school ends," the brunet replied smoothly, leaning his head on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Great, meet"cha at the vending machine," Hurricane smiled jokingly.

"Fuck, we still have detention today, don't we?" asked Spooky. Blurry nodded, groaning.

The group turned their heads towards the two boys. Devotee chuckled. "They're still giving you detention?"

"_Every day till the end of the year! _" mimicked the redhead. "The teacher yesterday said today was the last day, thank God."

Blurry hated detention with every ounce in his cold body. Every time, whoever was on duty was told to keep the brunet in a separate room, alone. It gave him far too many chances to get far too into his brain, and too many of those chances were always being taken out of pure boredom. His arms were marked high with words and phrases, but his phone was also full of pointless games that were never going to be completed.

Spooky always looked at Blurry's arms with pure curiosity and almost in admiration. The brunet only ever explained why he wrote on his body once at 3 am— it was a self harm method turned venting alternative (He never actually did that stuff in the first place, he thought it was stupid). Of course, they'd wash off in the shower every day, but there had been multiple nights where Spooky lay awake studying and reading the words and phrases among the boy's arms. They were poetic and so extremely metaphorical that it was cliché and so seemingly unlike him. In the end, it just came down to the fact that Blurry didn't only have a pretty face, he had a pretty brain too.

It made him think about his year. It was weird, he was so focused on getting over everything that had happened in his sophomore year so much yet somehow, he ended up here. He never would have thought he'd be here. All in the span of a mere 10 months. He'd never minded to check on his old friends, and after a while they'd just stopped getting their noses in Spooky's business. At the end of the day, they were both immature about things. But it was okay because Spooky didn't give a single fuck about how he acted and he didn’t care what they thought of him. That was over and he had better priorities. Blurry had so easily become his everything. Blurryface, with his aberrant vibe and secured thoughts and stupidly attractive looks. Blurry, with his soft lips and sharp yells. Even tired, Spooky was able to admire the other with such a livelihood that it was almost scary. He was so alert around the brunet now that it hugged every one of his thoughts. Blurry felt like a drug, but in every good way possible.

Spooky didn’t doubt that people could become addicted to things like love anymore. He was a hopeless romantic at this point.

* * *

The day passed slowly to neither of the boys' surprise. Though they stay around school doing virtually nothing the entire time, it still only would end up with them being separated for another hour after the bell rang.

Spooky's mom was utterly disappointed when she was told of the detention ordeal. The redhead couldn't exactly blame her. He was upset too. Caroline knew Blurry had it coming, and whenever the boy's father was around, the blonde always made sure to stay close and not say a word. Now, she was always the one to greet him when he returned home.

Blurry was fucking exhausted, slinging his red backpack on the floor of the empty classroom as he laid his head down on the desk. The clock ticking drove him insane, the sound burning itself inside his memory almost tauntingly. He just wanted this to be over with. The tick of the clock replayed in his mind, eyes unfocused and falling to rest.

It depended on the teacher whether or not you were allowed your phone. It was usually the older staff that collected them, but on occasion, Blurry would truly be alone in the classroom to use it. His and Spooky's iMessage history consisted of endless 8 ball games (with the occasional "_ lmao i win u fuckin LOSER _ " or _oh shit oh fuck i didn't mean for the ball to hit there. _")

Today was different. Right as Blurryface was about to check the time on the phone (fuck that annoying clock), he heard two knocks on the doorway. His head looked up to see an adult with shoulder-length hair that couldn't be a day over 25.

"Hey, you have detention?"

"Yes..." Blurry furrowed his eyebrows.

"Well damn, the detention room is across the hall. C'mon."

Blurry didn't object at all. He got up, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and following the teacher(?) out of the room.

"I'm Alistair, a student teacher. Administrators didn't wanna put teachers on duty so they had me do it since there are only two of y'all. I don't know why you were in there alone."

Blurry hummed, silent.

They entered the room, Blurry immediately catching Spooky's expectant brown eyes. He didn't hesitate to slide into a seat next to the redhead, locking their hands as soon as he did so, exhaling softly.

"You have the entire room to yourself, y'know?" The student teacher asked the brunet.

"I'm fine." Blurry replied quietly.

"Okay. Whatever floats your— oh wait. I'm dumb, sorry. You two know each other.”

Spooky nodded slowly, looking down.

Alistair seated himself on the empty teacher's desk. "Y'all are fine, don't worry. Is that why they had you separated?"

"Its really dumb," Spooky muttered, mostly to himself.

"That sucks. The adults here are weird. Well, at least I made things somewhat better."

The redhead could feel Blurry drifting off, slowly becoming heavier. Spooky cleared his throat, moving his head from Blurry's direction to the other's. "Can he uh... go to sleep?"

"Sure, it's fine with me. I get it. Used to fall asleep in class all the time a few years ago. Glad they didn't put it in my record," the adult chuckled, ''otherwise, I probably wouldn't have this job at only 20."

Spooky nodded, not minding the words said, letting his boyfriend find a comfortable position settled on the redhead's side, head resting lightly on his shoulder. Blurry said nothing, just closing his eyes.

Spooky knew Blurry was going to kick his ass later for letting him fall asleep on the redhead's shoulder in front of someone else. That was okay. It was nice while he had it.

The student teacher liked to talk. He kept Spooky entertained by running his mouth, talking about various things. Spooky learned more about this person than he did in a whole year of knowing Blurry in sophomore year. He learned about the man's sister, Ocean, who was in the class below them. Apparently she could sing well. He talked a lot about that. Spooky could really care less, but he knew all the guy was trying to do was make it less awkward.

It helped pass the time though, and by the time Alistair was done ranting about women's fashion standards, the hour had already passed. Spooky woke Blurry easily with a nudge. His face burned bright red, and Spooky just gave him a smile as if nothing happened.

"I can't believe you let me just fucking doze off like that," Blurry scoffed once they were out of the building.

"You needed sleep, Blur."

"I probably looked dumb as fuck."

"Did not," Spooky argued.

"Yeah well, that's because you're used to it and you think it's cute or whatever. It's embarrassing for me." Blurry pouted.

"Okay, well, chances are you're not gonna see that dude again, so don't stress it. You're fine, I promise." Spooky stopped at Blurry's car, turning to him.

"I‘m not."

Spooky sighed, "You'll be okay. Promise." He then kissed the brunet, cupping his cheek after. "See you later, pretty boy."

Blurry opened the car door, cheeks pink and eyes soft. "Bye, Spooky."

The redhead watched him drive off, knowing he would go home to a broken household and lock himself up in his room. Spooky would do close to the same.

He had to do something sooner or later. Blurry couldn't stay in the grey area forever.

* * *

**spooks**

you on your way

**pretty boy**

yes

**spooks**

okay

you get to meet the newest family member :')

**pretty boy**

i what

spooky what the hell did you do

**spooks**

you'll see

**pretty boy**

i'm terrified

**spooks**

it's okay, you'll love him

**pretty boy**

strong word choice, but okay

i'm starting to regret this

**spooks**

poor blurry

Blurry rolled his eyes, turning onto the redhead's street when the light turned green. He arrived sooner, parking his car to the side and getting out. Spooky was at the door, waiting patiently.

Bag hauled over his shoulder, Blurry made his way to the front door with a grin on his face. He dropped it at their feet, giving his boyfriend a short kiss. "Happy birthday, dumbass."

Spooky smiled. "Thank you, pretty boy."

"Now, where's this family member you were talking about?"

"Inside," Spooky replied. He opened the door, letting Blurry in, closing it behind him.

There was a pen set up in the living room, and Blurry was met with the sound of small barking and a bundle of dark brown fur. "You got a _dog?_ Oh my God, Spooky. Dogs are...I don't like dogs," Blurry stressed. The taller only smiled.

"I know, but I promise this one isn't mean or scary. He's adorable. You're gonna love him."

"I'm going to die."

Spooky laughed, leading the brunet over to the pen that was set up. There was food and water inside with what Blurry assumed were training pads, along with chew toys.

Blurry watched carefully. The puppy wasn't tiny, but it wasn't giant either. It had big, fluffy dark brown fur and light brown eyes.

He wasn't having it.

"What's its name?" Blurry asked in a whisper, almost as if he spoke too loud it would harm the dog.

Spooky looked down at the bundle of fur. "His name is Josh! He's a rescue, 5 months old."

"What the fuck kind of name is Josh?"

"I don't know," Spooky shrugged. "It fit. Anyways, this is my new child."

"You haven't been an adult for a day and you're already jumping straight into parenthood," sighed Blurry.

"I did better than Nicotine."

Blurry felt bad for laughing. "I'm very scared. Do you think he likes me?” he whispered.

"That's for Josh to decide," Spooky replied. The puppy wagged his tail like crazy, he looked happy, and he was looking straight at Blurry. The redhead picked the dog up, holding him out slightly so the brunet could see. Noticing his hesitation, Spooky said, "You can pet him y'know. He's very soft, and he won't bite. He's just excited!"

Blurry held out a hesitant hand, rubbing it slowly in the dog's fur. Spooky was right. He was soft. "Hello," the boy murmured slowly. Josh barked happily in return. Blurry almost smiled, still jumping back.

"See, he likes you. Nothing to dislike here." Spooky's voice was airy.

Blurry continued to pet the small dog, letting it sniff his hand. "What if he shits on me?"

"Believe it or not, I actually am doing decently at training him—"

"I find that very hard to believe."

"—so he won't shit on you. He's a good dog."

Blurry scratched the puppy's head. "He's cute, I guess. Soft."

Spooky put the animal down back into his crate area, petting him before standing back up. Blurry was still staring wearily at the dog.

"Oh. Hi, Blurryface."

The pair turned around to see Midnight standing nearby, phone in hand.

"Hi," Blurry greeted back quietly. Midnight rolled her eyes at Blurry's tone, looking back at her phone. Spooky cleared his throat.

"We're going out, I'm trusting you to watch over my dog, okay?"

"You're a horrible parent," Midnight stated. "You're lucky nobody else is home. And the second you two get back, I'm leaving. I have a party to go to at 5, and I also don't want to be in the house while both of you are...doing whatever." She watched idly as Spooky set Blurry's bag on the staircase, returning to the brunet's side afterward.

"That's perfectly fine with me, just don't neglect my child." Spooky took Blurry's hand, leading him to the garage.

"Bye."

The sun was setting as they left the redhead's house, casting pinks and yellows into the sky. Blurry never found the sky all that interesting or pretty as people made it out to be. "Where are we going?"

"I was thinking dinner somewhere downtown? There's a bunch of casual places we can go to,” suggested the other. Blurry nodded.

* * *

They ended up at a small cafe-esque restaurant that served sandwiches. It wasn't busy, there were only a few other parties there, and the speakers played a top hits radio station overhead.

"This place looks like it belongs in Los Angeles or something," Blurry noted.

Spooky took in the brunet's appearance. He looked good as always, a short-sleeved collared shirt on today with tight black jeans. His eyes were brighter today, and his hair looked fluffier than usual, almost curly. Spooky liked when Blurry’s hair was curly.

He then realized he was staring.

"You stare a lot, Spooks." Though Blurry was smirking, the redhead could see his pink tinted cheeks. Spooky shrugged.

"Can't help it," he said.

Blurry sighed, "I'm sure you can't."

"No, I'm serious." Spooky defended his words. "Why would I look at anything else when I have you right in front of me? It would be the biggest waste of my time."

Slightly overwhelmed and blushing harder, Blurry replied slowly, "Okay then."

There were easily five thousand other things Spooky could continue on with, but he stopped himself from doing so, knowing how the brunet was about those things. Plus, he was in public and didn't want to get any complaints. As if on cue, their food arrived with the smiling waitress. It was definitely a step up from a homemade PB & J, served on fancy toasted bread with the meat layered almost symmetrically.

Blurry looked back at Spooky once the waitress was gone. "So, how does it feel to be a full-time adult now?"

The older smiled. "I don't know...taxes...?" This got a laugh out of the other.

"In a few years you'll be out in college and shit, that's weird to think about," Blurryface frowned quickly, replacing his laugh.

"I know. I think I'll be fine, I guess. As long as I have you."

"As long as I have you," Blurry repeated in a murmur.

They caught each other's gazes quickly. The younger swore he could see the different emotions passing through the boy across from him. Fear, hopefulness, love, anger, all of it. All mixed into one look. It was almost scary.

Nothing needed to be said, the words were already readable.

They ate faster than they probably intended to, and within a good half hour they already had their check paid and were walking out.

"You kids have a good night," the older hostess said.

The warmth in Spooky's hand kept Blurry upright.

* * *

The nighttime air dropped a few degrees as it always did in late May. It wasn't cold, but it also wasn't warm. They parked a good ways away because that's what was available, which meant they had a short walk ahead, hands gripped together like it was second nature. It really already was.

Halfway through the walk, after a good amount of small talk and pure silence, Blurry spoke up.

"I'm sorry, you know," he said.

Spooky turned his head. "What for?"

The brunet hesitated. "For doubting everything, back then. a few months ago." He added, "Still sometimes now," under his breath. "You started talking about the future and I just... I guess I just...stopped."

"Blur," Spooky started.

"I can't help it," the shorter explained. "It's all so overwhelming, it's almost impossible for me to comprehend. Everything is happening so fast and it just recently hit me. And I'm sorry for not coping with that. Because I know you love me, and I love you too, just as much. But I don't know what I’m doing or how to come to terms with it. I never have. I'm trying, but with everything going on, with people telling me it's a lie, or that there's no future between us, or it's not worth it, or that it isn't real, I can't help but think that maybe they're right. Even if they're not at all. And I wish I could be better, and I wish this could be smooth. I'm sorry that it can't."

They had stopped walking entirely, Blurry staring straight down at his shoes. He was ashamed. And it was all catching up to him, in the middle of some random street downtown. He didn't feel like crying, but the lump in his throat made it crystal clear that he meant every word.

Which meant the first thing that Spooky did was bring the brunet's head up so that they met eyes. And exactly three seconds later, so did their lips. Blurry wasn't surprised, but at the same time he was. He knew physical affection meant little to nothing like words did, but for the time being, he let it slide and kissed back. Spooky liked to use physical affection when Blurry let verbal things get to him. It was a good countermove. Blurry knew that Spooky knew him too well. He loved him for it. Spooky was a dumb kid, but he was a clever dumb kid. The kiss was long.

When they separated was when the redhead started talking, breaths heavy, faces close.

"Blurry, you mean everything to me. And I don't care what happens in the future, but you will never ever mean anything less, okay?" he muttered softly.

Blurry didn't respond, but the look in his eyes told the other that he at least somewhat understood.

"New Year's Eve, at that party, I said I would wait for you. And I know that I had some drinks, and was tipsy or drunk or whatever, but just know that I meant every word. I'm not asking you to comprehend everything now because I know you can't. I would wait for an eternity if it meant you could have a good mindset." Spooky tilted the shorter boy's head upwards so they were eye level. "If we take things slow, we take things slow. I don't mind."

"Thank you," Blurry whispered.

"Of course, Blur." Another soft kiss was pressed to the brunet's lips. "C'mon, the car isn't too far off." They started walking again.

* * *

Midnight made a beeline for the door as soon as the two boys entered and had their shoes off. She had apparently gotten the dog to go to sleep, and also complained that she was late for her party. Spooky rolled his eyes.

"You'll be fine," he told her as she left.

Spooky led Blurry to the kitchen, where he turned on a speaker and prepared to bowls of ice cream while a playlist played in the background. They talked, Blurry sitting on a loveseat that was also in the kitchen (the brunet assumed for decoration purposes) while Spooky stayed at the island, putting chocolate syrup over the vanilla treat.

They ate while they talked, sitting next to each other, laughs shared occasionally as they discussed memories from school. It changed when a certain song came on, and Spooky gasped before setting his bowl down. In a second, he was standing in front of Blurry with his hand out.

"What?" asked Blurry.

"Dance," Spooky stated like it was obvious. He had a smirk on his face and the other wanted nothing more than to wipe that dumb thing off. "You and me. Please."

"Seriously?" Finished, the tanner set his bowl down.

"Yes, seriously. This is a great slow song. Plus, we didn't go to prom. You owe me one."

Blurry stood up, taking his boyfriend's hand mock-gracefully. "Alright."

"I didn't expect you to actually follow through," the redhead said, surprised.

Blurryface set his head on the other's shoulder. "You underestimate me." He recognized the song then, and he wasn't surprised. You Take My Breath Away by Queen played slowly throughout the kitchen area. It wasn't a bad song either. It was better than some cliche thing they would have played anywhere else. And he wasn't one for slow songs— or dancing at all for that matter. He almost laughed.

“This is the gayest shit we have ever done.”

“Probably,” Spooky hummed. He also seemed surprised by the red-eyed boy's ability. "Damn, Blurry, when'd you learn to dance?"

"Caroline taught me at her wedding when I was six. I was mortified of her up until that point," Blurry replied. "I have very few skills, so the things I learn, I guess I remember."

Spooky laughed quietly, "That's the most adorable fucking image you've ever put into my head."

"It was an experience."

They fell into rhythm more, and Spooky concluded that he could lose himself in the sound of Blurry humming the lyrics. He almost forgot that the brunet could sing. He wondered what that would sound like. Spooky'd have to find a way to get that out of the other at some point.

"What do I have to do for you to sing this?" Spooky tried.

Blurry laughed. "That's not happening. Nice try."

"Damn, I was close."

The brunet giggled. "Maybe one day. But not today."

Spooky sighed, "Okay. Also, we should go to prom next year."

"Oh God," Blurry groaned. "Don't tell Caroline that. It's too early for her to get excited about me going to social functions."

Spooky laughed quietly. "Okay, I won't tell her. But we should go."

"You're gonna have to convince me."

"One: We get to watch people do stupid shit. Two: We get to spend time with our friends. Three: Caroline will be overjoyed. Four: My mom will be pissed and I'll get to laugh at her. Five A: I have yet to see you in a suit. Five B: You'd look hot in a suit. Five C: You'd also look hot when I eventually take the suit off of you after prom where we ditch the afterparty after 30 minutes to go have even more fun. Counterarguments?"

"You know me so well," Blurry replied fondly. "One and two: We can do that shit any time of the year. Three: No objection. Four: No objection. Five A: I don't own one. Five B: I wouldn't know, I don't own one. Five C: Reasonable. Overall, moderate argument. I'll think about it."

"Okay, I'll make a deal: Suits are on me, my family knows a few places. We take individual pictures at your place for Caroline, then we go as a 'group' with everyone else and take pictures for my family so they'e happy, plus they won't be involved because they always take a retreat vacation around the weekend of prom. I won't attend since I'll be going to prom. Dinner beforehand, also on me. We go to the dance, let Crimson make her Snapchat story look appealing, go to whatever afterparty they all drag us to, and then ditch it and go back here. What do you think?"

"Better," Blurry said, "but where is all this money going to come from?"

"My parents love me."

"I thought you said they gave up on you."

"They'll fund most of it. The rest comes from my college savings that my parents fund. They think I want to go to an expensive school, but I'm just going to go to a community college, so I spend whats in there here and there if I ever want to. And trust me, there's plenty in that account. Bam."

"You're unbelievable."

"I try."

They continued on, letting the song play. Spooky even convinced Blurry to let the redhead spin him. (once, "You're on thin fucking ice, Spooks." "I know.") The song ended quickly, too quick for their taste. They pulled away, Spooky leaving the other standing to clean up their bowls. He frowned when he reached the sink.

"Do I leave them in the sink? Or the dishwasher?"

Blurryface rolled his eyes. "You're a big boy now, Spooks. I think you can figure that out yourself."

Opting to just leave the soapy dishes in the sink, Spooky turned his head. "So is that the nickname we're using now, huh?"

"In your dreams, Spooky."

Spooky sighed dramatically, running water over the bowls. Blurry watched the taller with ease, eyeing his mannerisms from afar. He'd been doing this for what seemed like forever now. It was a habit.

The brown-eyed boy turned around once he was done, leaning against the sink. "You're so pretty, Blur."

Blurry narrowed his red eyes. "I'm literally just standing here."

"Exactly," Spooky muttered. He walked towards the boy. He cupped the shorter's face. "You make it look so effortless."

"You're really determined to let me know how attractive I am, aren't you?" Blurry asked.

"Damn right, pretty boy," the taller told him.

One of the easiest things for the boys to do was to get lost in each other's touch, discarding the world around them like it didn't matter. It was a decently bad mentality to have, but none of that mattered when they were in the moment. They could have innocent bits of affection, but when that wasn't the case, everything mattered so much more, and it got much more intimate as they kept on. It was really probably the hormones speaking, but it still felt so emotional. Like it hurt. It hurt, but it was the best feeling in the world. Nothing could amount to whatever this was, and they didn't object that. So Blurry wasn't surprised at all when they started kissing, or when it deepened, or when he wrapped his legs around Spooky's waist and clutched onto the older boy like his life depended on it. He wasn't surprised when he ended up being laid down on the other's bed as if he were a delicate piece of glass. It wasn't the kind of mindless, lustful affection (despite the lust being there in plain view). It was safe.

"We can take it slow, if you want," Spooky whispered into the brunet's ear. "Just so it's not so fast."

It was then that Blurry knew he was right after all. They were going fast, and both members of the party were well aware. He wasn't hesitant when he agreed to the suggestion.

Last time they did this, it was fast, feverish and all after the release of a phrase that was far overdue. They acted as if the world would end if they weren't closer, if they didn't appreciate what they had.

This time, they took everything and stripped it down so it was careful and sweet. And maybe they joked a few times, sure. But it was easy to read the undertones. This time it was to make a statement. They didn't have to be quick paced. Blurry and Spooky did this so they could relax, and know what it was like to put a far more loving and considerate tone on things.

Despite the roaring of question and doubt that layered itself in the back of Blurryface's mind, he fell asleep just fine with fingers threading through his hair like it was silk, and easy whispers being placed into his mind.

They would probably still go too fast.

But Blurry could adapt. Right?

* * *

Blurryface is in a dark room, alone.

Actually, he doesn't even know if he can call it a room. It's just blackness.

He turns around, once, twice, to check his surroundings. It seems endless, and he's alone. Until he hears footsteps.

"Ah, Blurryface. You think you're quite the superior, don't you?"

Blurry turned around to be face to face with a white and black split toned face. He didn't say a word.

"You know, you're so young. Full of sin. That's really all you are." The man circled the boy. "It's not right to have sex before marriage. And it's certainly not right to be _ gay _ ." Ode hissed. "You think it's okay to lie to me about your relationship with my son? Because it is the worst burden that has _ ever _ been put on me. People hate me know that they know my son wants to marry a _ boy _."

Blurry looked up at the adult, expression unchanging from his scowl.

"This will catch up with you in the future, Blurryface. Don't think that it won't. For now," Ode held three fingers scarily close to the boy, but Blurry kept his red eyes open. "let's see what happens when you remove the sin."

Blurry knew there was a bruise where the man's fingers were headed, and he shivered fearfully as he felt the rough skin rub on his neck. The boy was confused as he ran his own fingers across the area. He turned only to see a reflection, similar to a mirror, of himself. He craned his neck, eyes widening when he saw.

There were three tan smears on his neck that were the exact same color as the rest of his body. The bruise was gone.

He turned to Ode. "What the hell did you do?!"

Ode chuckled harshly. "Helping you realize."

A daring lump in his throat, Blurry turned to look back at himself only to realize that Spooky's father was gone. He was going to cry. It was replaced with a soft touch on his back. The boy knew this touch anywhere.

"Caroline." He threw himself into the woman's soft embrace, a tear falling down his cheek. "I don't— I don't know what's happening." He sounded almost desperate. He was cracking.

"You're alright, come on. Stand up."

She helped the boy up, he sniffed, looking back at himself as Caroline kneeled eye level behind him, a hand on his shoulder.

"Blurry, I want you to think." Sweetness radiated from her voice. Blurry nodded absentmindedly. "Let's start here. What if you were like me?" she whispered.

The tan on his neck spread slowly until it wasn't discolored anymore. This wasn't right. His hands were normal too, and he looked down in horror. When he looked back up, his eyes were brown. "Wh—"

He was like his step-mother. The red and black was gone.

"Would Spooky have noticed you all that while ago?" It was a whisper, but suddenly Blurry was sitting at the lunch table they used to sit at in 10th grade like he was being thrown through time, losing his breath.

He was writing on his arms, the ink was black instead of blue. He could hear Devotee's slightly higher voice say something, most likely about him, but he didn't care. He was more startled when someone cleared their throat.

Were they asking for his attention?

He looked up, and met eyes with a pale boy who had dark chocolate eyes and red on his lids. It almost looked like makeup. His hair was curly and also red, and his lips were a soft pink. Attractive.

They looked at each other for a split second, the new boy seemingly coming with his own thoughts about Blurry. It didn't take long for him to speak.

"Oh," the boy said aloud. Nothing else.

He was supposed to say something else. He was supposed to tell Blurry that he was attractive too. That’s how it went.

Blurry's heart dropped. He looked back down at his hands.

He was back with Caroline, in the darkness. Blurry's vision was clouded with tears.

"Why'd he say that? He’s supposed to say something and I’m supposed to thank him and start talking a little bit and I’m supposed to—“

Caroline smiled sadly. "Think, Blurryface. If you were a perfect, would things change? Would you grow up to have someone different?" Another figure appeared in the reflection. Blurry saw the blue eyes immediately.

"B-Black?" he sputtered. No, he didn't like this. He didn't care about her. At all. Why was she here?

"Same goes for him," The blonde said, pointing to the boy's side. Blurry moved to see Spooky off to the side. Except it wasn't him. This version had dark brown, almost black hair. The red was completely gone. His eyelashes didn't seem as dark.

Blurry hated this.

"What if Spooky ended up with somebody else?" Confused, Blurry looked back to his mother. Caroline nodded her head back towards where Spooky stood.

Spooky looked normal, but the sight next to him made Blurry sick. This was it. He started to sob, losing control.

"No! Fuck, _ please_!" he screamed. He walked towards the girl as fast as he could, too tired to run. She was all over the other. Blurry was angry. Angry and scared, and worked up and crying.

Blurryface fell to his knees after passing straight through the two like they were nothing. They didn't exist here.

Tears were streaming down his cheeks like rapid fire.

"Caroline," he cried, "I don't want this, He can't have this, I can't— I can't do this. Make it stop, please!"

Caroline was quick to bring him into a hug. "Exactly. It's wrong, isn't it? It wouldn't happen." Blurry sniffed up the tears he had left.

"But that can't be the only thing you base this on. You have to think about the other things. Does Spooky only love you for your looks? Did he in the first place? Has he grown from this? Have you?"

Blurry shook his head, "I don't know," he replied, helpless.

"Oh, but I think you do. Trust yourself."

It was like everything started flashing before his eyes. Everything Spooky Jim had ever said to him, replayed for his terror. Blurry went through everything. Many late night talks were played through, along with Blurry's endless rants and Spooky's seemingly convincing answers. Blurry didn't have it in him to find the right answer to Caroline's question. It was all too much.

"You're so young," the woman continued, "you've taken everything so fast, it's hard to find a good answer. But that doesn't mean—"

Caroline didn't get to finish her sentence.

Instead, her hands loosened from Blurry's shoulders, and she fell to the floor. Blurryface could only watch in utter horror. She didn't move. He screamed, again and again, until it was a distorted mix and it sounded mechanical.

He didn't cry this time, he only suffered. It was like this was happening too fast. He couldn't keep up.

Someone was beside her now, and she was laying peacefully with a yellow flower in her hand.

Yellow is Spooky's favorite color.

The brunet looked up to see his boyfriend, who mourned silently. Everything came out of him at once

"Spooky, oh my _God,_ please tell me what's happening! Why is this happening, please, I'm so _ scared, please. _"

The older only looked at him with sad eyes. He then turned his head to look past Blurryface, and the sadness turned into anger, with a slight hint of fear. Blurry looked behind himself to see his father approaching. He was definitely going way too fast.

"I'm sorry," Spooky mouthed. Blurry looked between the two. Or tried. When he looked back, both his boyfriend and stepmother were gone. Again.

"I—"

"Silence."

Blurry looked at Vessel this time.

"What did I tell you? You even went through your own fucking memories this time! And guess what you find! Nothing!" He laughed. "I was right after all. Caroline was gone before she could do shit, just how it should be."

"Caroline said—"

"That woman's opinion doesn't matter, she's fucking gone, isn't she? You listen to me now. What a nice thought." His voice sounded metallic and sharp. It was terrifying.

"No, please," Blurry couldn't move his body as he pleaded. His arms and legs wouldn't budge. He was trapped.

"Now, let me continue. What did I say before? All this time, I was right. Blurryface, you are seventeen years old. No fucking seventeen-year-old in their damn right mind goes to these dumb ass parties, or actually considers serious relationships that fucking last, let alone have the audacity to say that that know what real love is. You'll never fucking know. Because you will never find it," he hissed. Blurry cried out as he tried to move.

"That boy doesn't know what's good for you at all. He doesn't know you. And if he doesn't know you, he doesn't fucking love you."

"Fuck you, why won't you let me go?! I didn't fucking want you here, none of that is true!" yelled Blurry.

He was angry. Angry because he knew he was denying everything. Angry because Vessel had a point. There was a reason he couldn't answer Caroline.

There was a reason why he was so fucking afraid of this in the first place.

"You're staying here." Vessel said.

"I would rather set my soul on fire," Blurryface hissed. His eyes were glowing in the blackness, the color of a siren.

"Then do it," the man stated simply.

A lighter was at Blurry's legs. Able to move his arm, he picked it up.

"What do you mean?" the brunet asked.

"What do you think?" his father countered back. "Set your soul on fire. If you want to get out of this."

Blurry's stomach dropped as he stood up.

"Forget everything, Blurry. Forget your flawed perception. You're too young for this."

The ground was engulfed in towering flames. He was able to step through them with ease. They illuminated his skin carefully.

He didn't realize what was in front of him.

Spooky looked relaxed. He looked unafraid, despite the flames that were reaching him. He looked straight at Blurry with gentle eyes. As if to reassure the red-eyed boy, he said, "It's okay."

"This is a lie, son. This is all a lie! Remember what I told you!" Vessel shouted. Blurry let this get into his head. Everything was different.

So why didn't Blurry feel at peace now? Even with his father's ideals circling around, it didn't feel right.

He would have to make it feel right.

"Tell me." Blurry demanded at the other in front of him.

Spooky remained static.

"Tell me you don't love me!" Blurry screamed.

The flames climbed the other's skin. He didn't reply how Blurry wanted him to. Only with his name. "Blurryface..."

The fire turned red.

He didn't say "I love you." He didn't say "I don't love you."

Because the brunet could never put Spooky in a bad light.

Blurryface's heart broke.

* * *

The boy woke up in a cold sweat.

His mouth was dry, he sounded strained as he coughed, tears dried on his face. It was light outside. 10 AM in the morning. June 10th.

Peeling his blanket off of him, he walked his suddenly sore body to the bathroom, stained hands grabbing his phone as they pleased.

He was unsatisfied. His father's words from the dream repeated, and he replayed the entire thing as he splashed cold water onto his face, trying not to panic. Everything made...sense.

After all this time, Blurry's doubts looked to be true after all.

He didn't understand why he still wanted it to be true. He didn't understand why he thought this was a good idea. But he couldn't drive himself to insanity like this.

Blurry figured it was time for all of this to be sorted, if it could, scrambling to type something out.

**pretty boy**

we

As if he hadn't already been upset enough, a tear slipped down his face. He let it happen. He hated himself, and he didn’t know what exactly for.

**pretty boy**

we need to talk

* * *

If Blurryface died, Spooky would easily go with him.

That was one of the more concerning things in the brown-eyed boy’s brain.

But it was true.

He knew the brunet constantly thought of how scared he was, or was usually very overwhelmed. Spooky just wished he could take that all away.

Blurry didn't deserve the pain. God, he didn't deserve anything bad.

Iron Man 3 played on Spooky's TV. The reason Spooky had this thought was because he had just watched Pepper Potts fall into a big fire and realized he wouldn’t just stand there if he were Tony. It was a boring day in June, Blurry was probably still asleep (hopefully), and Spooky truly had nothing better to do. His siblings were too annoying. Plus he just liked the movie. He liked how Tony was protective of Pepper, he liked that the motive was _her._ Sure, Iron Man also had to save America from a terrorist, but the entire movie seemingly focused on Pepper, and how much Tony loved her.

Spooky could relate to that. Easily. Maybe he was just a dumb 18 year old with a bunch of hormones and shit, but Blurryface was so intricate and fragile that there was no way in hell that Spooky couldn't be more sure of how he felt.

He was so lucky.

Blurry passed his thoughts every day. But the redhead never really thought about his feelings like this. He was more scared about what the brunet thought than what he did.

Blurry was so fucking convinced that they weren't going to work out, but at the same time, it was as if he tried his hardest not to let that get in the way of things.

Spooky had to admit, Blurry had a great point. They were really young technically, but this was honestly pretty normal. It's not like you had to be 30 or something to know you're in love. Plenty of healthy couples met when they were in their late teens.

At least Blurry and Spooky weren't 14 or something. That'd be absolute hell.

Then maybe Blurry would be right.

Spooky just thought that maybe Blurry wasn't truly thinking correctly. Of course, with the shorter boy's mind, the paler wouldn't expect anything else. It was just a shame that Spooky couldn't take it all away and let the poor boy realize that everything was okay.

He had a plan. He would go to college, get a job and rent some apartment in the city. With Blurryface. After college, they'd probably move, not too far, but then again, that depended on the jobs they both had. Also depending on their friends and stuff. His parents would fund the apartment, given that Spooky's dad didn't know of his son's relationship, and then at some point, that whole mask would fade, but they'd make it work because they'd have jobs.

He was a dumb 18-year-old, but was he really that dumb?

His mind went back to the brunet. They'd seen each other yesterday, and he'd seemed perfectly fine, which was good. They got lunch at McDonald's and then fooled around afterward for the rest of the day and Spooky stared at Blurry for an inhuman amount of time and got called out for it by Blurry himself like always. They also had watched Deadpool among Blurry's request.

Maybe that's why Spooky was watching another Marvel movie.

He went home, and he'd texted the redhead goodnight at around 11 PM as per usual. Then presumably, he slept. Spooky did the same.

Blurry was easily the highlight of his day. He was the highlight every day. Spooky loved his personality, his attitude, the way he talked. The way how he only really opened around Spooky made the redhead feel like the most important person in the world, and he was probably one of them to Blurry made his heart swell. Sure, he was also hot as hell but that was just an added bonus. Spooky just liked to remind him of that a lot. Not only for the reaction but also just in case Blurry ever got insecure about his looks. But Spooky would also really compliment anything about the boy, appearance or personality-wise.

Blurry was even good at being a fucking _asshole._ That takes time to grow on a person.

Damn, Spooky was so in love. He'd protect that boy with his life. He couldn't let anything happen to him. Or them.

He sounded disgusting, like a stupid kid in love, and funnily enough, that’s exactly what he was.

Even Josh liked Blurry. And Blurry liked him back. That brought a smile to Spooky's face. He could hear the puppy running towards him in the background. Soon enough the dog was situated next to the boy, allowing Spooky to give him plenty of affection like he wanted.

"What do you think of Blurry?" Spooky asked the dog.

The brown bundle of fur wagged his tail at the mention of the brunet's name, head up and tongue out. He barked.

Spooky giggled, "Me too, buddy."

Tony Stark was putting an expensive ruby necklace around his girlfriend's neck when Spooky's phone vibrated.

**pretty boy**

we

we need to talk

* * *

  


They sat in a field behind Blurry’s house, near the park. The summer heat was almost excruciating for some reason, but nothing stopped Spooky from seating himself next to Blurry with little space in between. They didn't touch.

"You wanted to talk?" Spooky asked, eyes squinted at the brunet from the sun.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, we need to talk."

Gulping, the paler nodded, asking, "About what?"

There was pure silence, Spooky Jim watching carefully as Blurry shifted his gaze from straight ahead to the view at his feet.

"How long have we known each other?"

"Like, two years."

The other huffed. "No, Spooky. How long have we really _ known _ each other?" Blurryface emphasized.

"Nine months?"

"And we've been dating for eight," Blurry finished. His tone was cold. "I don't understand how—how we've..._ fuck _!" Blurryface groaned in frustration.

"What don't you understand, Blur?" Spooky's voice was soft. He couldn't let his patience loose this time.

Something was terribly wrong this time.

"I'm only seventeen years old. I shouldn't be in love. I shouldn't be having sex or going to parties and I sure as fucking hell shouldn't have managed to do that in eight months! I don't understand why the hell this is happening to me out of all people, I never asked for this! I don't know what the fuck i'm doing, I've fallen too hard—"

“Whoah, Blurry, slow down,” Spooky started.

“Let me talk,” Blurry pleaded. “I’ve become this...this _ thing _and it’s not good and I’ve become too vulnerable and I can’t stand it anymore, Spooky. I don’t have control. I’m not who I used to be. I can’t keep loving like this. You’re not supposed to feel all of this shit when you’re young and stupid, and I do, and it’s wrong, and I’ve lost my protection—.”

"Do you realize how different you were before this? Blurry, you’ve changed for the better. You realize that, right?" Spooky asked in a mutter, eyes narrowed.

"Shut the fuck up!" Blurryface stood up, now hovering the redhead. "You have no right to talk about what I was like before this, you barely know anything about me!"

This hit the paler like a bullet. He scoffed. "Name one person that knows you better, then," said Spooky in a low tone.

"N-nobody does, Spooky, but you don't know the fucking half of it." the brunet spat.

"Oh but I think I do. What about the countless nights you stayed up until 4 AM ranting to me about yourself and your thoughts, huh? I remember all of it. I was there when you told me. It’s not like I left. It’s still all in my mind. I've read your writing, I've seen what's on your skin and I've heard you say shit yourself. Is that not all? Are there 500 other things you haven't told me to add on to the millions you have?"

"Why did you read my stuff?"

"Because I was scared!" Spooky yelled, "I have to know what's going on in your mind in order to help you and I can't do that without finding out how you think! And I can't just y'know, not help, that would ruin me!"

"Why the hell would you want to help me at all? It’s pointless."

Spooky sighed almost pathetically, looking up at the brunet with dark eyes. "You know, Blurry, I think sometimes you forget that I love you. That's why. That's the answer to everything, right there. I do this shit because I fucking _ love _ you and I would go to the end of the fucking _ world _for you, why can't you understand that?!"

"But how do you know you're really in love? We're so fucking young, what happens when this all becomes temporary and we grow up betrayed, or if we fall out of love—"

"Who fucking cares if we're young or not? That doesn't fucking matter! I'm not leaving you, Blur. Whether you like it or not, I can't leave you. You're not the only one fucked up here. I'm not leaving you because you know I just absolutely _ hate _ you with every fiber in my body and I can't stand you so I need to be with you every second of my life, you know?"

"You think you're so clever using sarcasm like that, don't you?" Blurryface hissed.

"I never said anything about being clever, Blurry."

“Yeah, well you have a smartass attitude.”

“Me?” Spooky exclaimed. “_I _ have the smartass attitude?”

“Yeah,” Blurry snapped. He turned around. “Because I’m not the smart one here. I’m just the fucking stupid one for getting into this shit.”

Spooky narrowed his eyes, hands in his lap. “What the fuck happened, Blurry?” His voice quieted. “You were doing so good. We were doing so fucking good.”

“I don’t know,” Blurry replied. “I woke up and started thinking.”

“So let me get this straight: For months you’ve been confident in yourself and so much more comfortable with everything and even though you’ve had people beside you this entire time and even personally told me you genuinely thought you were getting better, you can just wake up one day and decide it’s all wrong? I’m calling fucking bullshit. Don’t lie to me, Blur.”

“Does it matter?” Blurry stayed still.

“Yes, Blurryface. It fucking matters. This shit doesn’t come up out of nowhere. You’ve told me that. Unless you lied."

Blurry frowned. “I didn’t lie.”

“So; tell me what happened.”

“I went to sleep and I had a nightmare. A long one. And everyone was calling me fucking stupid and it was so fucking long and I felt so trapped, Spooky. I felt like I was suffocating. I was trying to tell myself something.”

Spooky was apprehensive. “What were you trying to say do you think?”

Blurry sniffed. “That everything everyone’s been telling me is wrong. And that you don’t actually...love me.”

Spooky paused, taking in the words. He wanted to cry. He shook the gut feeling off, clenching his jaw and scoffing. “So is that what it is, then? You want me to tell you I don’t actually care for you and love you and then walk off and leave you alone.” He stood up. “I’ll leave. I’ll leave you if it puts you at peace. I’ll leave you alone! Is that what you want to do? Break up, or whatever?”

Their breaths were heavy, Blurry still standing away from Spooky, fists clenched. The redhead's hands rested by his sides, balled up as well. This was when they made eye contact, and the red-eyed boy finally cracked his façade and burst out into tears. They ran down his cheeks in clumps, and he quickly covered his face.

Spooky was quick to react, walking over to the other and taking him by the waist, The brunet's legs were trembling, and the taller brought them both down sitting. He pulled Blurry into his lap quickly, arms wrapped around his torso as the tanner rested his head on the other's shoulder and sobbed.

“Don’t leave,” Blurry begged. “Please, don’t leave, I’m sorry, please, _ please.” _

“I’m not going anywhere, I’m right here,” Spooky whispered.

* * *

They stayed like that for what seemed like forever. The air was hot, sun being covered by a few clouds now. Despite the heat, they still clasped on to each other tightly, Spooky letting his boyfriend cry out pointless mutters and words.

"God I hate this, I hate this, I hate what you're doing to me I hate y—" Blurry shut his mouth and started shaking. "Fuck. No. I can't, I don't, I could never, _ fuck _!"

Spooky was calm now as he spoke, closing his eyes and resting his head against the other's. "Stay with me, Blur. Don't lose yourself now."

"I don't hate you. I don't wish I did. I wish I could just shut the fuck up for once, I wish he didn't feed me lies. I wish I didn't believe him. I wish you'd just tell me to shut up already because I know you hate this, I—"

"Shh, Blur. Calm down," The paler whispered. He was soft and warm, hands threading slowly through Blurry's growing locks of hair. His eyes were closed, showcasing the red smeared on the lids. They opened as soon as Blurryface started talking. Blurry looked up, and his eyes were glossy and red, so bright and so, so terrified. He looked fucking shattered.

"Spooky. Am I going to be okay?"

Blurryface was, essentially, insecurities bottled tight in a human body. His voice was scared, his actions were careful and falling, breaking. His soul was torn, but his heart was so massive that it just..._h__urt._ He hurt. He was confused. He was insecure.

"I don't know. I'll do everything I can to make things okay. I promise."

Spooky Jim was overconfident. He was so prideful, so sure of everything. He let that break every once in a while, but it was never for long. He wanted to join the thoughts that would forever tell him no. Don't go. But he would go. And he'd break everything in his path just because he was so confident. And maybe he ruined things, but he was going to remain strong on this until it wasn't needed anymore.

And who knows? Maybe Blurry will be okay tomorrow. Tomorrow, he might apologize. Tomorrow, he might tear himself further. It may take months, it may take a few years. He will never get over this fear. But what did he know? He was only so young.

Young, with an in-depth perception of love and trust. Something he could never lose.

"Are we going to be okay?" Blurry reached up to touch Spooky's pale face. The stark contrast between his black hands and the taller's pale white skin looked so sickly that it only entranced Blurryface further. He could look forever.

"We'll try our hardest."

Blurry retracted his hand.

Spooky picked it back up and placed it back on the side of his face, holding it there.

"You know that was sarcasm when I said I hated you right?" Spooky asked, slowly, carefully. In a whisper.

"Yeah, we talked about it after you said it." Blurry replied, dull.

"I'm sorry for saying that." The redhead bit his lip, eyes still worried on the other.

"A little sarcasm never hurt anyone, did it?"

It was almost like a tease, the way Blurryface said "sarcasm" made Spooky narrow his eyes and keep a tight hold onto the brunet's hand. He sighed.

They were going to have to make this work. They couldn't let this go. Could they?

All of this work, only amounting to Blurryface ending up in shambles in the lap of the person who filled his thoughts daily. Something he didn't think he understood. Love is flexible, love is personal. And that's the one thing he did not know.

He was so fragile that he didn't understand the simplest explanation.

So when he asked Spooky if sarcasm could hurt anyone, a saying that would infest Blurry's heavy mind even though it was a simple joke, the redhead answered with the simplest explanation.

"It can hurt you."

Blurryface blinked. “Very funny.”

“Your eyes are bloodshot and you just finished screaming at me because you had a dream where your abusive dad was scolding you and now you’re answering me with shit like ‘Very funny.’ If we live in a teenage drama series, this one is fucking weird.”

“What else did you expect?”

Spooky sighed, rubbing his thumb over the brunet’s cheek. “We have a lot of shit to figure out.”

“Yeah.”

“I love you.”

“Are you sure?” Blurry whispered.

“I’m sure.”

“I love you too.”

“Are you sure?” Spooky asked in return.

Blurryface just laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading, I really hope you enjoyed it.  
I've had this AU for a good two years now, and this is the first time since I finished it summer of last year where I've done some major editing to it. This book and my characters are like my children. wanted to write something with lots of drama, lots of deep shit, lots of crazy looking people and a little bit of self-awareness towards book cliches.
> 
> see y'all around

**Author's Note:**

> find me on Instagram @srcasmz for more au stuff or on tumblr @neckpaint.


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